Manny's First Flight!

There are some joys in life that are just so wonderful you can't wait to share them with your children. For me, flight is one of those joys.

Father and Son in the airport. Chris was able to be with us right up until we boarded - such a blessing!

 When I was eight months pregnant I flew from the Philippines to Australia. It was to be my last flight for a while and I was so glad. I've always loved traveling but it had started to get a bit too uncomfortable. I felt like I was earth bound and that I could put all traveling aside for a good six months (a long time for me to last without feeling antsy), if I had the opportunity, and not worry.

Then it happened. I'll never forget one evening when I was taking Manny for a walk. He was only a month or two old and he was fussing and being miserable even while I bounced him along. The air was warm with late summer and it really was a lovely time to be out. Then suddenly I heard a familiar noise. It was the low hum of an aeroplane. My heart skipped a beat and I couldn't believe it. There was that old emotion again. All I could think was, "well, that nesting phase sure didn't last long now did it?" I stopped the pram in the middle of the street and looked up, searching for that plane, just like I did as a kid. It was a low flying Quantas plane. When I was young I used to imagine that all the planes that flew over had a banner on the back that said "FREEDOM" in big block letters. This plane flew that same imaginary banner. It was like the plane was saying to me, "Come with me and see the world! There is so, so much to see!" I took a deep breath and shook my head. The travel bug is obviously one that never dies. You either have it or you don't, but I'm not so sure you can lose it. Then I realised that something was amiss. That was it, the plane was the only thing making noise! Manny was quiet! I looked down into the pram and he had an intent expression on his face as though he was listening. I know that you are laughing at me but it gets worse - he was looking up into the sky as though searching out that plane with the invisible banner. I smiled. It was like God's way of showing me that, not only had I been blessed with a traveler for a husband, I was blessed with a son who would love travel too.

And today I got to take Manny for his first flight! When I took the photo at the gate I whispered to him, "Welcome to your first flight Manny, may it be the first of many!" It was just a short 1.5 hour trip from Sydney to Rocky but he did not cry. Not once. Not on takeoff. Not on landing. He didn't sleep either, he sat up and looked around and chatted to the air hostesses (they all popped in one by one just to talk to him - they even told me there was a free babysitting service and to let them know if I wanted a moment to myself!), and when he wasn't talking to the air hostesses he was making friends with some TV show people behind us (their take on some of the famous people around made for rather entertaining eavesdropping ;-). I got to hold him up to the window and show him clouds. Clouds! Not clouds way up there, you know, those things you can barely see that look like cotton wool? Yeah them! but clouds, those beautiful things just on the other side of this bit of glass, the white stuff it really feels like you could reach out and touch, the filmy organza with the golden tint on top that people below us can't see. Yeah, those clouds!

Manny loved looking at the clouds!

 It was strange but I felt honoured to be able to show my son the Lord's handiwork in all it's glory. I know, I know, he won't remember a bit of it. But I will. When I had him one of the first things that became crystal clear to me in an instant was just how horrible this world is. It is full of sin, it is hard, it is filthy and miserable. And I knew at that moment too that I could never protect him from it. My precious little boy would someday have a sin nature to battle just like me. I had never looked forward to the Rapture until that moment. And yet today I was able to show Manny something so magnificent. God created the wrinkly hills, the overflowing rivers, the ocean, and yes, the amazing clouds. What a great God He is!

Of course, when it comes to flying Manny probably has a headstart on most other babies - he did twelve flights while still in the oven. Although then he used to fuss and do somersaults during the landings. The only thing that would calm him was Chris putting his hand on my belly and talking to him. This time I didn't have Chris, but I had the Lord and a son who is going to love traveling as much as his Daddy and Mummy do!