Story about Mom. By Laura Gosper.

It was Christmastime and Mom and Anita were coming out to California to visit.  Mom was flying from Rochester, changing planes in Chicago, continuing on to Los Angeles and boarding the final leg to Santa Barbara where I would meet them.  Anita was flying from Boston and was expecting to meet mom in Chicago.  Their plan was to finish the flight together.  Two things changed their plans.  A snowstorm hit Boston and all flights were grounded.  A strike was called by United Airlines - the airline they both were using.  Anita returned to her home with plans to fly out the next day.  Mom made it to Chicago where she found no flight and no daughter. Her explanation of why she must get to California must have been of academy award caliber as she was put on a first class Continental flight to LA and met the small plane for the Santa Barbara flight with time to spare.  When she arrived she was so happy - she loved flying.  She had negotiated O'Hare without a hitch, was not upset that Anita had not been there, and acted as though this was an everyday occurrence for her.  I asked what she had said to the gate agent at O'Hare - she said that she was very old (she was in her early eighties) and that her daughter was waiting for her in CA.  Who could refuse to do as she asked?  Her luggage did not make it so the next morning we were going to pick Anita up and also get her luggage. At the airport we had coffee and then went to meet Anita as the plane came in.  Santa Barbara was a very small airport and when the passengers de-planed they had to walk across the tarmac. We saw Anita - her first words to us were "I could see the pilot!".  Mom said she thought it was really "interessante". I was never able to get my pilots' license - bad eyes - but had I been able, I know Mom would have been my first passenger.  She was an amazing lady!