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I think Anne Tyler perfectly captures the feeling of anticipation as you are waiting for a loved one to disembark from a flight and come through the doors to the arrival lounge.
One of my best airport memories is watching a young man with flowers waiting impatiently at the customs door. Who was he waiting for, we all wondered? You could feel the tension rise each time the doors swung open. When a girl finally came out to meet him, the crowd burst into applause at their emotional embrace.
Airports are an interesting place, so public a space and at the same the scene of so many private and intensely personal moments. A trip to the airport can mark a life changing event: like moving to a new city for a new job, saying goodbye to your family knowing many years may pass before you see each other again, greeting relatives who are arriving to meet a new baby for the first time, and all kinds of other tearful goodbyes and joyful reunions.
It’s no wonder the Donaldsons ask the Yazdans to join the party back at their house. Who wouldn’t get caught up in the emotion of the moment, as I did watching the couple’s reunion at Logan?
P.S. Check out this clip of sweet airport reunions from the film "Love Actually": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14QSezeYMvE
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I agree that the emotion of the moment was huge for both families, the Donaldsons and the Yazdans, but I think it's a more intimate moment and I guess, if I were in the Yazdans place, I would've also decline the invitation. They were complete strangers, although living the same situation.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I don't know, I've never being in the situation of adopting, or even close to it, but I think it must be kind of hard, maybe many mixed feelings, I don't know, but perhaps is an event is good to spend with your family and not with some people you just ran into in the airport.
Thanks for writing Carla. I think if I were the Yazdans I would have declined the invitation too. I would have felt overwhelmed by the Donaldsons' airport party, with all of those people and cameras and decorations, and I probably wouldn't want anything to distract me from spending time with my child. Most likely I would think to myself "that family has everything they need, what could I possibly add to their party?" And I would feel like I was intruding on their private family moment.
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