Good day friends, and welcome to another glorious day of April!
Since I last wrote I've once again visited the great country of Thailand. I'm not exactly sure how all of the legality issues work, but I'm fairly certain I will qualify for Thai citizenship on my next trip. Although Bangkok is becoming old news for me, the trip was extra special, as it was my first layover with one of my friends from Emirates. Working the seven hour flight with my favorite Scot, Paula, made the time literally and figuratively, fly by! For a large majority of the flight we sat gossiping and drinking cappuccinos from business class behind the closed curtains of one of the small galleys. Short of developing a secret password, we basically had our very own clubhouse at 37,000 feet.
I'm certainly not complaining about frequent trips to Bangkok, as I've had a blast every single time, and this last visit was no exception. During our short 24 hour stay we napped by the pool, enjoyed an hour long Thai massage for $10 USD, ate delicious food, and had drinks at the world's tallest open air bar, Sky Bar. Not only is Sky Bar famous for it's world record, but more importantly, it was featured in the movie The Hangover Part 2.
This past week, I was forced to go back to work flying solo. Although I missed my partner in crime, I was quickly cheered up by the next best thing; her entire family! Yes, that's right, I made my first visit to the land of bagpipes, plaid, and hunky men in kilts, also know as Glasgow, Scotland.
The flight to Glasgow was one of the best flights I've ever worked. The passengers drank us out of nearly every drop of alcohol on board, but they were SOOO polite and kind, an extreme rarity on most of my flights, that I actually didn't mind running up and down the isles delivering drinks for seven hours straight.
Knowing it was my first time visiting Scotland, Paula arranged for the Wilson family, whom I'd never met, to take me out for the evening. After a quick hotel room snooze, Paula's parents, Jill and Chris, picked me up and we went to a local pub, The Den where we met Paula's Nana June, brother Martin and his girfriend Nicole, neice Ellie, and Uncle David. I had heard so much about her family throughout the past year and a half, that I felt like I had known them for years. After having a couple of drinks and visiting at the pub, we headed to a nearby Tapas restaurant.
Always one to at least try the local cuisine, Mr. Wilson ordered me a small plate of fried haggis, but refused to tell me what it was until after I took my first bite. Two bites later he informed me that haggis, a Scottish delicacy, is a mixture of onions, spices, and sheep's heart, liver, and lungs.
I don't think I would ever order it again, but it actually wasn't that bad! The rest of the meal consisted of delicious fish and chips, grilled prawns, stuffed mushrooms, several glasses of wine, and lots and lots of laughs. I loved her 80 something year old, high heal wearing Nana, who kept using the phrase, "When I get old...." and through her thick Liverpool accent would pause mid conversation and ask, "Love, can you understand me when I speak?"
Ellie's very mature for her age personality, combined with her love of dance, iPad's, and all things Disney Channel couldn't help but to remind me one of my favorite munchkins, Bridget. Her brother, like my own Brock, was the family joker and kept everyone in stitches the whole night. After he had consumed a few drinks, I loved Mr. Wilson's telling of how at age 17, the same age my dad was when he began dating my mom, he had drawn up the gumption to ask Jill out for a date. Paula's mom is absolutely beautiful! She sat next to her young granddaughter to assist her with choosing a meal, she continually checked that we all had enough to eat and drink, and she asked me thoughtful questions and genuinely listened and cared about the answer. Jill's own mom bragged about what a great daughter she is, and that she wouldn't know what to do if it weren't for Jill's amazing help. Paula's mom also served as the responsible driver after our night of dinner and drinks. I giggled from the back seat as she corrected her husband each time he'd casually let a swear word slip. Always the caretaker, the backbone of the family, the matriarch....
Spending the evening with the Wilson's just made my heart so happy, and at the exact same time, it also left me with just a little ping of sadness. Being surrounded by such a loving family felt so normal, and made me feel so thankful that I not only have great people, like the Wilson Family, in my life, but that I also have my very own wonderful family! And being with them reminded me of the vital role mother's play in these large, amazing families. Being with them reminded me of family times spent with my own mom.
Just a few short years ago, she was the one driving my dad, Eric, and myself home after a night of celebrating at Brock's wedding reception. Always responsible, but slightly sassy, I remember her storming into the house yelling, "Oh just leave him there," as Eric attempted to assist the sleeping and newly nicknamed High Kicks Kenny out of the van and into the house. She was more than just a grandma to Lana and Bridget, she was their Ma. She was wrapped around her granddaughters fingers, and absolutely beamed in their presence.
She was the caretaker, head chef, family mediator, counselor, solicited and unsolicited advice giver, our seamstress, events manager, nurse, moral compass, and maker of everything better! She was the one who made us eat with both feet on the floor and our elbows off the table. She was....she was just our mom.
I feel so blessed to have so many moms in my life from Scotland, Ireland, Austrailia, England, Virginia, Monmouth, White Hall, and beyond, and am thankful for all the mother love they extend to me. I'm thankful to have spent 24 years with someone who loved her family unconditionally, served others whole heatedly and lived life vigorously! And surprisingly enough, I'm thankful that our family has a huge hole in it, because I think it just means that once upon a time, we had somebody in our life who was important enough to leave it.
We just miss you, mom!
"Your family is not your enemy. They are human and make mistakes, as you will in your life. Give them a break once in a while, better yet, give them a hand, offer your thanks, and throw in a hug once in a while! Your Mom, or Grandmother and others that care for you won’t always be around, and you’ll MISS them!!! Tell special people in your life they are loved and appreciated, and be a good kid. That is the best way of honoring those that care for you." -Gail. M. Schutz, in a letter she wrote to one of her young Girl Scout Troops several years ago =)
Since I last wrote I've once again visited the great country of Thailand. I'm not exactly sure how all of the legality issues work, but I'm fairly certain I will qualify for Thai citizenship on my next trip. Although Bangkok is becoming old news for me, the trip was extra special, as it was my first layover with one of my friends from Emirates. Working the seven hour flight with my favorite Scot, Paula, made the time literally and figuratively, fly by! For a large majority of the flight we sat gossiping and drinking cappuccinos from business class behind the closed curtains of one of the small galleys. Short of developing a secret password, we basically had our very own clubhouse at 37,000 feet.
I'm certainly not complaining about frequent trips to Bangkok, as I've had a blast every single time, and this last visit was no exception. During our short 24 hour stay we napped by the pool, enjoyed an hour long Thai massage for $10 USD, ate delicious food, and had drinks at the world's tallest open air bar, Sky Bar. Not only is Sky Bar famous for it's world record, but more importantly, it was featured in the movie The Hangover Part 2.
This past week, I was forced to go back to work flying solo. Although I missed my partner in crime, I was quickly cheered up by the next best thing; her entire family! Yes, that's right, I made my first visit to the land of bagpipes, plaid, and hunky men in kilts, also know as Glasgow, Scotland.
The flight to Glasgow was one of the best flights I've ever worked. The passengers drank us out of nearly every drop of alcohol on board, but they were SOOO polite and kind, an extreme rarity on most of my flights, that I actually didn't mind running up and down the isles delivering drinks for seven hours straight.
Knowing it was my first time visiting Scotland, Paula arranged for the Wilson family, whom I'd never met, to take me out for the evening. After a quick hotel room snooze, Paula's parents, Jill and Chris, picked me up and we went to a local pub, The Den where we met Paula's Nana June, brother Martin and his girfriend Nicole, neice Ellie, and Uncle David. I had heard so much about her family throughout the past year and a half, that I felt like I had known them for years. After having a couple of drinks and visiting at the pub, we headed to a nearby Tapas restaurant.
Always one to at least try the local cuisine, Mr. Wilson ordered me a small plate of fried haggis, but refused to tell me what it was until after I took my first bite. Two bites later he informed me that haggis, a Scottish delicacy, is a mixture of onions, spices, and sheep's heart, liver, and lungs.
I don't think I would ever order it again, but it actually wasn't that bad! The rest of the meal consisted of delicious fish and chips, grilled prawns, stuffed mushrooms, several glasses of wine, and lots and lots of laughs. I loved her 80 something year old, high heal wearing Nana, who kept using the phrase, "When I get old...." and through her thick Liverpool accent would pause mid conversation and ask, "Love, can you understand me when I speak?"
Ellie's very mature for her age personality, combined with her love of dance, iPad's, and all things Disney Channel couldn't help but to remind me one of my favorite munchkins, Bridget. Her brother, like my own Brock, was the family joker and kept everyone in stitches the whole night. After he had consumed a few drinks, I loved Mr. Wilson's telling of how at age 17, the same age my dad was when he began dating my mom, he had drawn up the gumption to ask Jill out for a date. Paula's mom is absolutely beautiful! She sat next to her young granddaughter to assist her with choosing a meal, she continually checked that we all had enough to eat and drink, and she asked me thoughtful questions and genuinely listened and cared about the answer. Jill's own mom bragged about what a great daughter she is, and that she wouldn't know what to do if it weren't for Jill's amazing help. Paula's mom also served as the responsible driver after our night of dinner and drinks. I giggled from the back seat as she corrected her husband each time he'd casually let a swear word slip. Always the caretaker, the backbone of the family, the matriarch....
Spending the evening with the Wilson's just made my heart so happy, and at the exact same time, it also left me with just a little ping of sadness. Being surrounded by such a loving family felt so normal, and made me feel so thankful that I not only have great people, like the Wilson Family, in my life, but that I also have my very own wonderful family! And being with them reminded me of the vital role mother's play in these large, amazing families. Being with them reminded me of family times spent with my own mom.
Just a few short years ago, she was the one driving my dad, Eric, and myself home after a night of celebrating at Brock's wedding reception. Always responsible, but slightly sassy, I remember her storming into the house yelling, "Oh just leave him there," as Eric attempted to assist the sleeping and newly nicknamed High Kicks Kenny out of the van and into the house. She was more than just a grandma to Lana and Bridget, she was their Ma. She was wrapped around her granddaughters fingers, and absolutely beamed in their presence.
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| A Typical Look On Ma's Face When She Was Surrounded By Her Granddaughters |
I feel so blessed to have so many moms in my life from Scotland, Ireland, Austrailia, England, Virginia, Monmouth, White Hall, and beyond, and am thankful for all the mother love they extend to me. I'm thankful to have spent 24 years with someone who loved her family unconditionally, served others whole heatedly and lived life vigorously! And surprisingly enough, I'm thankful that our family has a huge hole in it, because I think it just means that once upon a time, we had somebody in our life who was important enough to leave it.
We just miss you, mom!
"Your family is not your enemy. They are human and make mistakes, as you will in your life. Give them a break once in a while, better yet, give them a hand, offer your thanks, and throw in a hug once in a while! Your Mom, or Grandmother and others that care for you won’t always be around, and you’ll MISS them!!! Tell special people in your life they are loved and appreciated, and be a good kid. That is the best way of honoring those that care for you." -Gail. M. Schutz, in a letter she wrote to one of her young Girl Scout Troops several years ago =)
Ah, this is beautiful, Kels, made me tear up a bit. So true though, all of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice tribute to your mom Kels. It is nice to have wonderful memories of the ones we love that have to leave us way to soon. I feel sorry for the ones that don't have those memories, because of all of them wonderful memories we all have we are blessed!! Love ya Kelsey
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