Mother and Child

This story is based on a very similar experience I had recently. I was retelling my experience to a friend at work who said to me, "That would make a really great story. The same feelings a generation apart. A mom and a child and a mom and a child." I got to thinking about it on my way home from work, and my mind went to the Hebrew phrase  לדוֹר ודוֹר (read: l'dor va'dor), which means "from generation to generation." Usually the phrase is used to mean the passing down of culture and tradition from generation to generation (such as the teachings of the Torah), but somehow this experience brought the phrase to mind, especially when my friend mentioned the two women experiencing the same kinds of feelings toward the opposite generation. 

Mother and Child

They waited in line at the TSA security check, swapping day to day small talk with glances at his smart watch. Boarding was supposed to start in 20 minutes, and they were only a little concerned he wouldn't make it in time. The line was long, but continued to advance steadily. He was giddy with excitement; she had a different kind of butterflies in her stomach. He was 17-years-old, intelligent, mature, undoubtedly able to handle himself. But in her eyes he'd always be her baby. And her baby was getting on a plane to travel over 2,000 miles away from home. Alone. With a stop-over where he'd have to change planes. Alone. It's not that he had never flown alone before. It just seemed the closer he got to leaving for good, the more emotional she got about saying goodbye and watching him go.

Even with a last minute bathroom stop, they reached the gate in plenty of time. He plugged in his phone for a final charge and she ran to buy him a snack. Feeding your children is just as much about comforting yourself as it is your children. Besides, it distracted her from the waiting. The line at Burger King was backed up, so instead of a burger and fries, she settled for a can of Pringles, a Barq's Root Beer, and a pack of gum at the News Stand. She wondered if she picked out the right thing, and thought about how she used to know what all his favorites were. Not so much anymore. Except for the root beer. He still loved root beer. And at least with that she couldn't go wrong. By the time she returned boarding was underway and they listened closely for his seating group. She was thinking about whether he would hug her goodbye, or just say "See ya," like he did when he left the house to go to work or meet up with a friend. Her heartbeat increased, and she felt a lump in her throat as they approached the flight attendant taking boarding passes. She decided she couldn't allow him to go without a hug, so she just asked,

"Can I have a hug before you go?" Her voice was shaky and her eyes glassy.

"Can you have a hug? Yeah, I guess." And he hugged her tight.

"Be alert and aware while you travel. Have a great time. I love you."

"I love you too."

And he walked into the jetway and never even turned around. But that was okay, because she didn't want him to see her tears. She watched until he was out of her sight and she sat down by the window, waiting for the plane to pull out. She noticed off to the side behind her, another woman who seemed several years older than her, with a similar look on her face. She was staring out the window as well. Within a few minutes the plane pulled out slowly, and she felt as though it was tethered to her heart. She stood up and reluctantly turned away to walk back to the exit. The other woman stood as well. They noticed each other but didn't speak. They both slowly walked the long corridor back toward the exit, watching the plane out the window, moving slowly in the same direction. And then it stopped. And both women stopped. They looked out the window and then at each other.

Finally the younger woman said, "Do you have kids on the plane too?" With a tentative smile the other woman responded.

"Actually, my 87-year-old mother is on the plane. It's her first time ever on a plane and she's flying alone." She turned and looked nervously out the window.

"Wow. My son is on the plane. It's not his first time flying, but I can't help it. It's more me than him." They smiled at each other again and the plane started moving. "Well, there they go."

"There they go." Their eyes met again through the tears.

"Now we just hold our breath for a couple of hours." They laughed again and continued on their own paths, neither one of them taking their eyes off the plane just outside the window taxiing along until it moved out of sight.