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The story that I am about to tell is one that both inspired me, and
frightened me, but in the end, made me stronger, and gave me a new sense
of purpose. To this day, I know God was with me in this amazing way, and I
know that I will never be the same again.

I was suffering from depression since my parent’s deaths. I had much
bitterness inside. It changed when I met a man named Ray L. nearly 7 years
after my dad’s death. We were an airline family, dad said the day we
picked out mom’s burial plot. An appropriate spot, we all agreed, with
planes flying by overhead. After all, dad had 29 years in the industry!

Mom died from breast cancer in 1988, she was diagnosed in 1984. It had
been just 2 years earlier when dad’s job with the airlines was
eliminated. It was the beginning of the end for me, or as I called it,
"the demise of my family." The loss of dad’s job caused such
stress that he had a heart attack later that year. Although he survived
the heart attack and tried desperately to get his life back on track, mom’s
illness took a toll on all of us, especially dad. All I know is dad gave
up too. He joined mom only 20 months after her death when he suffered from
a massive stroke.

Having worked for a major airline myself for many years, I returned
briefly in 1996 to a small start-up airline. The ticket counter where I
worked sat directly across from the ticket counter of the airline where
dad had worked. I had only one dream of dad since his death. He was in a
building with a lot of people hustling and bustling around. He was sitting
on a rounded bench. The one thing I remember more than anything else about
that dream was the smile on his face. He smiled like I never saw him smile
in his life. He was indeed happy. The other thing I clearly remembered
from that dream was the rounded bench. I can still see the bench and the
smile on his face vividly and clearly, as if I had only dreamt it
yesterday.

I didn’t realize it during my interview with Ray L., but I’m sure
the similarities were always there. His looks became so familiar it was
ironic how much they reminded me of dad. Ray L. had also previously worked
for an airline for many years. He even shared the same first name as my
dad. I sensed an immediate natural and pleasant relationship existed
between us early on. It was almost as if I had known him all of my life.