Like mother, like daughter

The text from my daughter came in just as we were leaving the house to enjoy an evening at Beef and Boards to see Tootsie:

Guess where I’m traveling through on my flight home to Tampa?

Emily was in San Antonio on business. Her connecting flight to Tampa was in Houston, where a Ground Stop had been issued due to staffing issues.

She was boarding the plane in San Antonio, so I had to wait for updates. I’m a rule follower, so I did not check my phone while the theater production was going on. My mama heart was anxious as I waited for the intermission to check my phone.

I had received a message from Emily asking me to pray that she made her connection in Houston, which had a tight timeline, and that the flight to Tampa would go as scheduled.

Emily has watched me navigate through my travel adventures. She knows all about patience and staying calm during adverse situations.

And just as her mother has more to tell about in her stories … so does Emily.

That morning, she was to meet, for the first time, her peers and her new boss. Just as she got out of the shower at the hotel … the power went OUT. Here she was, with wet hair and no lights on to navigate putting on her makeup.

Emily improvised, just like her mother would. Instead of long, wavy, curled hair, she twisted her hair into a bun on top of her head. She used her phone as a flashlight while putting on her makeup. Off she went to her first business meeting with the four male coworkers in San Antonio.

Later that evening, I got a text that she had made it to Tampa. I breathed a motherly sigh of relief. She had a story to tell, and I had a column to write.

As I was tweaking this week’s column, I got a text from her. Oh, Mom, there is more to the story. (Remember, she is my daughter.)

The flight attendant on the San Antonio to Houston flight made an announcement as the plane was landing. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have 44 passengers who have a very tight connection time to get to their next flight. Would you remain in your seats while they scramble to make their flight?” Not one person complained as the 44 grabbed their carry-ons and dashed to their next flight.

Emily made her connection. She thought her travel issues were over – oh, not yet.

She was on her way home, navigating the never-fun Tampa traffic, when suddenly, she saw car and truck parts flying through the air. She had just missed being involved in a multi-vehicle accident. Seconds separated her and the cars involved.

As she unpacked her luggage, she also unpacked gratitude with a sigh of relief. So much had happened in the couple of days she had been traveling. She could easily focus on the aggravations and inconveniences. She was tired both physically and mentally. She had pivoted and refocused. She had dashed and made her connection with not a minute to spare. She had missed a major accident by seconds. She chose to be grateful.

She had a story to tell … and so did her mother. Like I’ve said before and will say again, like mother, like daughter.

Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.