Flight Attendant Didn’t Let 87-year-old Woman Into Business Class. But Then They Learned Who She Was
The Pilot in the Picture
“This picture probably means a lot to you,” the man asked, giving the photo to his elderly neighbor.
Mrs. Wilson carefully took the photo as if it was the most precious thing in the world. She smiled at it and her face brightened, making it seem as if all her wrinkles just magically smoothed out.
“Yes, this is my son. He’s a pilot. He’s actually flying the plane we’re on right now,” the old woman answered proudly, dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief.
Hearing the words of this poor-looking woman, the business class passengers immediately settled down, ready to listen to her story. Dorothy Wilson said that she grew up in a poor family with four siblings. Her parents, Kate and John Wilson, ran a small farm that helped them avoid starving during difficult times.
Dorothy was the oldest of all the children and therefore all the hardships of raising them fell partially on her shoulders. Peter, the youngest of the brothers, was mentally challenged and required special care and attention.
A Family Tragedy
When World War II broke out, Dorothy’s father volunteered for the Army where he fought against the Japanese military in the Pacific Islands. Before leaving, John Wilson gave his daughter a golden heirloom which was inherited from his grandfather. He asked Dorothy to keep the family heirloom safe until his return.
Unfortunately, John Wilson came home in a coffin covered with the national flag. The Wilson family was devastated with grief over the loss of the breadwinner and the head of the family. After the death of her father, Dorothy’s mother became withdrawn and never met another man to spend her life with.
Time went by, Dorothy was getting older, and it was time for her to think about starting her own family. But instead, she had to stay with her mother, helping take care of her mentally challenged brother Peter. Kate’s two other children had long moved into a larger city, leaving their brother, sister, and elderly mother to the mercy of fate.
Love Lost to Fire
It was only later in life that Dorothy Wilson met her true love. She was 28 years old and she had already lost all hope of getting married. Jack was handsome and he was a shepherd driving flocks of sheep in search of places for pasture.
Their relationship developed so rapidly that Dorothy felt that she was in a fairy tale. The couple was planning the wedding, but the bad fortune that followed the Wilson family wouldn’t allow the poor girl to enjoy her happiness.
One evening Dorothy’s mentally challenged brother Peter set their house on fire. Jack rushed in to try and save him, but unfortunately they both died in the fire. Left without a home, Dorothy and her mother were forced to live in an old shack. They bought it with the money they had from selling Jack’s sheep.
A Mother’s Heartbreaking Choice
It was then that Dorothy found out that she was pregnant. Unfortunately, by that time her mother had already been showing signs of dementia which manifested in aggressive behavior. It was more than once that Kate tried attacking her pregnant daughter with a knife, blaming all of her troubles on Dorothy.
The unfortunate Dorothy gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, but every second she was afraid that her mother could unintentionally harm the baby. Dorothy spent three years living in a state of eternal fear for her child’s life.
Then, tired of the grief and misfortune that had befallen her in such a short time, Dorothy decided to send little Kevin to an orphanage. With tears in her eyes, Dorothy sincerely believed that the boy would be better off in an orphanage than living under the same roof with his grandmother who could harm him.
The Long Road to Forgiveness
After leaving her son at the orphanage, Dorothy lived with her mother for several more years until her death. Then Dorothy went back to the orphanage intending to take her son back home, but the woman was informed that Kevin had been adopted.
Ever since then, Dorothy had been trying to find her son for many years, but it was only recently that she finally succeeded. It happened thanks to the volunteer organization that specialized in searching for missing relatives. Thus she bought a business class ticket to be closer to her son who was flying the plane at the moment.
It just so happened that Mrs. Wilson managed to finally see Kevin exactly on the day of her 85th birthday. “Now I can die in peace. I’m not sure if I’m going to heaven, but I’m very happy that my son Kevin is doing well,” said the old woman and sobbed softly.
Mrs. Wilson’s story didn’t leave a single passenger indifferent. Some of them even completely changed their outlook on life. The old woman didn’t notice how after hearing her story the flight attendant went into the cockpit and said something to the pilot.
A Special Announcement
A few minutes later an announcement came over the intercom: “Dear passengers, this is your captain speaking. Our flight is coming to an end but our lives don’t have to end with it. Each of our lives is full of ups and downs, but that’s no reason to believe that some of us are more fortunate than others.”
“We all get opportunities from our birth and our lives depend on how we use them. Without making mistakes we will not learn the joy of forgiveness. Therefore we shouldn’t look for the guilty when there aren’t any, as we shouldn’t hold a grudge against someone whom we might not be able to understand.”
“And also I’d like to tell my mother who’s flying with us today that I love her very much and that I have forgiven her a long time ago. She is a good person and she deserves to be respected.”
After the Pilot’s words, the passengers gave him a standing ovation, happy to see that everything ended so well. When the plane touched down, Mrs. Wilson hugged her son for the first time in many years, crying with joy. The old woman handed Kevin the golden heirloom which she kept all this time. The man carefully held the family heirloom and cried like a child, unable to contain his emotions. He’s been waiting all his life for this moment.
