1982 was a quite a year for me. Mothering two boys, age 3 and 1, I didn’t have much time to sit and watch television. There was always something to do. Watch the babies. Tend the garden. Wash and line dry cloth diapers. Sew. Cook. Clean. Repeat. Those days were filled with “Must Do’s” and included very little “I’d Like To…”-s.
One day, a story on the television caught my attention. It seemed a certain man named Larry Walters made the news in a very big way. Using a $109 “Sear’s Best” lawn chair attached to 43 helium-filled weather balloons, he left terra-firma to soar to an eventual height of 16,000 feet. It just so happened that after lifting off from San Pedro, California, he entered controlled airspace near long Beach Airport. When he eventually got caught in power lines and caused an electrical outage in the area, he climbed down to safety and was arrested.
Larry had always wanted to fly, but because of poor eyesight, that wasn’t to be. So, being a creative man, he figured a way to have his own experience. He knew the helium would carry him up and he’d carry a pellet gun to burst the balloons to make his descent. He was hoping to float over the Mojave Desert.
Larry had dreamt about doing this for 20 years. He finally made his dream come true at the cost of a $1500 fine for “operating a civil aircraft for which there is not currently in effect an airworthiness certificate.” Only the government could come up with that one.
There are so many rich and wonderful things about this story. The fact that Larry dreamt about doing this for 20 years is only one of many. His “aircraft” was named Inspiration 1, which made one think there might be more adventures. He achieved inner peace by fulfilling a lifelong dream!
So busy at the time, Larry and I went on with our very separate lives. His story was soon forgotten by most, but not by me. When I had some time, I intended to write a letter to this man. I wanted him to know his bravery and vision weren’t lost on a young mother tending to two babies in Madera, California. I really meant to write that letter. Year after year, it was on my very long list of things to do. I’d do it. Tomorrow.
It was with a heavy heart that 11 years later, I read a very small article about his suicide. He’d lost the love of his life. He had trouble finding work. His days became too dark and he ended his own life.
What might one letter have done to change his outlook? I never had the chance to find out. Perhaps we would’ve become pen pals. His antics took my troubled mind to place of possibilities and wonder. If Larry could reach his lifelong dream, maybe I could muster up the courage to make my own life better.
Words are life. In 2018, a brilliant 5th grader started her final essay to me with these three words, receiving an A+. Words ARE life. A random letter of encouragement could be all it takes to make any day better. Just one little envelope delivered snail mail.
Yesterday, I took time to write a letter to one of my favorite authors. Jan Karon. It was from the very first book about her beloved Mitford that I read an enchanting story about a mansion named “Winterpast” (Chapter 19-21 of “At Home in Mitford”).
As a new widow, I needed anything to keep my mind focused. I picked up her book and fell into the world of Father Tim and his parishioners. And there, I found “Winterpast”. Just like that, my new home had a name.
My beloved spoke and said to me,
“Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me. Song of Solomon 2: 10-13
I wrote to Mrs. Karon yesterday. I hope it brightened her day. Words ARE life changing. They can turn a widow away from the constant companion of grief and steer her toward the future. I know. I happened to me that May evening in 2020.
Whatever you do today, take a little time and write an unexpected letter to someone special. Let them know how they’ve changed your life. Don’t forget to add the love.
Have a great weekend!