Only One Little Girl Keeps Completely Calm During Turbulence [Story of the Day]

A nervous flier is astounded when a little girl seated next to him remains calm throughout a turbulent flight.

Peter Hastings hated flying, which was a terrible irony of fate because he spent a great deal of his time flying from city to city across the United States on behalf of his company.

He racked up thousands upon thousands of frequent flier miles he never ever used. When he went on holiday, Peter never flew anywhere. If he couldn't drive there, he didn't go.

One of his most harrowing experiences happened on a flight between Detroit and Denver, just two days before Christmas. Peter was ushered into the plane and seated by the smiling flight attendant. He immediately buckled up and checked that there really was a parachute under the seat.

Only then did he notice that there was a tiny girl, no more that six or seven sitting in the window seat next to him. Peter summoned a smile for the child. "Hello there! Is this your first flight?"

The little girl smiled back happily. "Yes! I can't wait to fly! Did you know that planes are a lot heavier than air?"

Peter felt his stomach turn over. "Er...Yes, I did know, actually..." What he didn't say was that he wasn't interested in thinking about that too much.

But the child continued prattling happily. "My dad says the air flows over the wing, which is a special shape, and that's why planes fly!"

Some of the other passengers screamed, but Peter was afraid that if he opened his mouth he'd never stop screaming again.

"That's very interesting, little girl..."

"We are going to be flying at over 10,000 meters, that's so high...."

Peter was getting even more nervous than usual. "Yes, that's very high..."

Thankfully, that was when the pilot announced the takeoff, and the little girl became engrossed with the view outside her window, watching the earth fall away. Peter never took the window seat.

Shortly after that, the flight attendants served drinks, and while Peter asked for a beer, the little girls happily drank an orange juice. Afraid that she'd started telling him unpleasant facts about airplanes again, Peter pretended to fall asleep.

Then he was jolted upright in his seat. Turbulence! The plane was being tossed from air pocket to air pocket, and the seat belt light was on. The pilot advised them to stay in their seats, and the flight attendants struggled to collect trays.

Peter grabbed onto the armrests of his seat and started praying. And he wasn't the only one. All around him he could hear desperate whispers, sobs, and cries as the turbulence became even worse.

Peter looked at the little girl at his side and was stunned to see her calmly leafing through a book. "It's ok, little girl," he said, trying to reassure himself as much as her. "It's going to be alright!"

She just smiled at him and continued reading. The book was about a puppy and a kitten and a parakeet, Peter noted as the plane was swept up yet again and jolted viciously.

Some of the other passengers screamed, but Peter was afraid that if he opened his mouth he'd never stop screaming again. Once in a while, the pilot's calm voice would assure them that all was well, and the little girl would smile.

After two hours, the turbulence finally dies down, and the pilot announced their approach to Denver. A general sigh of relief filled the cabin. The passengers had all thought they were facing their final moments -- everyone except the little girl seated next to Peter.

Smiling and feeling much better, Peter turned to his tiny fellow passenger. "You know, you are the bravest person on this plane! Everyone else was scared except you!"

The little girl smiled. "Oh, I knew there was nothing to worry about!"

Peter stared at her in astonishment. "When the plane was in the turbulence? You weren't worried at all?"

The girl giggled. "Of course not, silly! My daddy is the pilot, and he's taking me home! I'm safe as houses!

Peter closed his eyes to hide his tears. He remembered his childhood, and the comfort and safety he'd felt in his father's arms. He was moved by the little girl's faith in her father and realized she'd reminded him of his own faltering fate in God.

The child had known in her heart what so many of us forget, that her Father would never let any harm come to her, she was safely shielded by the turbulence of life in his loving hands, and he would give her safely home to her destination.

From that day on, Peter vowed to place his trust in God with the same confidence as that innocent little girl placed her trust and her life in her father's hands.

Any resemblance in this story to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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