Monday, December 21, 2009

Delayed Homecoming Happy Ending

Steve and Sarah left for the airport in Norfolk about 45 minutes ago to collect a certain College Dude. (I decided to stay home and get a few things done in preparation for his Grand Arrival.)

They had only been gone about thirty minutes when Steve called to inform me that he'd just gotten a phone call from Nathan who was at the Orlando airport getting ready to fly out.

So that's a good thing, right?

Our College Dude had made it to the airport on time. He was all ready to go. Everything was hunky. Not to mention dory.

Except.

Except for the fact that his flight was leaving from the Tampa airport. Which is quite a long way from the Orlando airport. And Meagan had already left the Orlando airport. So he was going to miss his flight. And he didn't have anything else scheduled.

I went into Panicked Mother Mode. What to do? What to DO?

We had our traditional Christmas family supper planned for tonight and then we were going to put up the tree. Everyone was so excited to see him and we were all ready to don our happiest, welcoming-est faces as we showed him around our (and his) new house.

I placed an emergency call to my older brother, Tim, who has a contact for a great travel agent we've used in the past. Tim gave me the number, I said, "Sorry I can't talk longer," and immediately hung up to call the travel agent.

The agent chuckled sympathetically when I told him the dilemma and then said, "Tell Nathan to go straight back to the Southwest desk in Orlando before his flight is due to leave from Tampa. If he waits too long, and his other flight takes off, they'll just cancel him out of the system. See if they can move his flight to Orlando instead."

I thanked him, hung up in a hurry and got Nathan on the phone. Just as I was about to blurt out my invaluable, inimitable motherly advice he said, "I just went to the Southwest counter and for just $8 more, they booked me on a later flight. I can't fly out till 7, but everything's taken care of. Meagan's coming back and we'll just hang out around here until my flight leaves."

I felt sort of deflated. You mean he didn't need me to rescue him?

How sad is that?

And then I felt very proud. He didn't need me to rescue him. How great is that?

So now his arrival into Norfolk won't be until 9 pm and it'll be after 11 pm before he gets to the house.

But on the bright side, our son will learn to read his itinerary a little closer in the future. (I had booked the flight and just emailed him the info.) And also on the bright side, I learned that my firstborn child can survive just fine--650 miles away at the wrong airport--without his mama.

The pancake dinner and tree decorating can wait until tomorrow night. The important thing is that our son will be sleeping under our roof tonight.

And that's a delayed homecoming happy ending.

(An airport stop in August.)

5 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

Shannon said...

Ok so I really couldn't follow which airport was right and which was wrong, however I'm happy that he will be home!! Happy Holidays!!

MaryH said...

Two wonderful stories and a recipe to boot!!! I love the "holding hand" story. I am very glad that Nathan will be under your roof tonight and tomorrow you will have the tree decorating fun - how great it will be to let him settle in to his new home. I will be out of the office for several days to spend Christmas time with my family - especially my FIRST with my Grandson - they all arrive at my house tomorrow night and THERE ARE TOYS UNDER OUR TREE this year - how fun is that - blessed and happy Christmas, Becky, Steve, Nathan, Sarah and Snowy. I will try and check in over the holidays if my old relic computer will cooperate and allow it - otherwise, I will be back at work on the 30th. Stay well and happy and have fun.

Jennifer said...

Great story! I teach 4 & 5 year olds at a Christian preschool - and just this past week, we were reading a story retelling the Christmas story. And at the end of the book, there was a page that had pictures of different scenes from Jesus' life. (teaching at the temple, calming the storm, the wedding at Cana, and a variety of others including a picture of the cross.) And all of a sudden, I saw a light go off in my student's little heads, as one little girl said "Guys, that's the cross where Jesus died. And that's the baby Jesus. And they were the same person - the SAME Jesus. That little baby, died for us!" To which a few others commented about how sad that was and a few other things, till one little boy piped up and said "It's okay guys! We don't have to be sad. Jesus isn't really dead cuz He's living in all our hearts!" and another little boy joined in with "Yeah, some people's hearts are black and no light is shining out, but our hearts have Jesus and they aren't black!"

It was one of those moments I wish I'd been recording, because it was too precious for words! It made all the craziness of the week before Christmas break and the difficult behavior we'd been having in the classroom for a couple of days due to excessive Christmas excitement, absolutely worth it!

Have a wonderful Christmas - and keep letting His light shine out of your hearts! :)

Pam D said...

Oh my. I was tuning up the sympathy pipes, sad that you would have a delay in seeing your beloved boy. Until I realized that you just gave a living, breathing example of Phil. 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with ThaNKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Amen, sister... you found the the rose where most would only feel the thorns. What a blessing that Nathan has learned such important life skills; even more of a blessing that you can see God's hand in the circumstances and understand the need to wait on Him. I love it... and in looking at my clock, I love the fact that you should already have your arms wrapped around your son like ribbon around the most special Christmas gift. I know he'll find the beautiful and thankful things in your new home, too... can't wait to hear all about it!

Anonymous said...

So, is he home?
Buff