Leaving, on a jet plane....

This is a little weird.

Background: last year when I flew from Michigan to Pittsburgh, after my brother's graduation, the weekend my grandmother died, I sat next to a woman whose mother had just died, she was just coming from the funeral, etc. We talked and it turned out she was neighbors with the secretary at my library.

Last night, on my flight from IAD (Dulles International) to PIT (Pittsburgh International), I sat next to a woman whose dad had died that morning, in Pittsburgh. I chatted with her, telling her I had a book and could read, if she didn't want to talk.

Her dad had been a truck driver. His name was Larry. He was 77.

I wanted to comfort her but didn't know how except by just talking to her, sharing my experience with my grandmother's death last year and listening to her experience. I told her how great Narnia had been and she said she might take her daughter, who is 18.

I doubt I'll ever see this woman again, but I hope that the conversation we shared helped her. It certainly took my thoughts off Christmas.