“Is it okay if I grab your arm during take-off, I'm a really nervous flyer?” A tall lady with a tight slicked back ponytail, named Carrie, asked me while perched at the edge of her aisle seat as our plane pushed slowly back from the gate at Oakland airport minutes before flying to Burbank.
“Of course!” I replied sitting casually in the window seat.
I am not a nervous flyer, but if I can provide any sort of comfort to someone who is, (or to someone who is just nervous in general), I will gladly let them grab my arm, lean on my shoulder, or hold whatever is weighing them down so they can experience a moment of lift.
From Screen left: My brother, Peter, his son Reed, my brother, Tim, my sister, Mary, Yours Truly, and my niece, Kaia.
I soon found out that Carrie was En route to Burbank to cheer on her son who was playing in the UCLA vs. Stanford football game that night, and she was leaving Oakland because she had just finished cheering for her other son on at his football game at Cal Berkely, (I’m not sure who they played?) Talk about a Super-Mom! She also has two young daughters, works in law enforcement, and enjoys true-crime documentaries.
I don’t believe I rid Carrie’s fear of flying completely by the time we touched down in Burbank, but I did my best to distract her during the less than hour flight it took to travel from the top to the bottom of our gorgeous Golden State.
I flew from the bottom to the top earlier that morning.
Yours truly, my step-sister Sarah, my sister, Mary, my step-sister, Jen.
I’ve only done that once before, round out a “round trip” in one day, both occasions were wonderful and sad, both were Memorials. The first was for my Uncle Pat in 2018, and the second was for my stepsibling's father, John Fox, last Saturday.
My chance rendezvous with Carrie was a welcome opportunity to share about my family, to say aloud how special each of them are as individuals, and how much they all mean to me.
Peter, Tim, Mary, our Dad, and a red-head. This was the first time we'd all been together since July, 2019.
We may look like a crowd (there are a lot of us) but we each have our role to play, and every role is vital and is missed when missing.
The WHOLE Fox/Kelly crew!! From Left: My stepbrother, Chris, Peter, Me, Jen, Mary, Sarah, Tim, and my stepbrother, Bo. #allthesteps
Therefore, when we are all together, no matter how brief, happy, sad, trivial, or important the occasion, it always feels right, whole, like a family.
Just a really big one.
Super-Secret Sibling huddle.
The song/video this week was chosen for a handful of reasons: It is an amazing song from one of my favorite bands, the performance by the drummer is a gorgeous tribute to his father, and most of all, because Dave Grohl reminds me of my oldest brother Chris, and Chris has been my Hero for the last few months.
P.S. I hope the header photo makes sense; I love all the steps in my life.