What If You Only Had 20 Minutes?
On Tuesday at 11:03 AM, the left engine of Southwest flight 1380 blew out. Shrapnel busted a window and tragically killed Jennifer Riordan. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family. At 11:23, captain Tammie Shults, displaying what one passenger called ‘nerves of steel’, safely landed the plane in Philadelphia.
But what happened between 11:03 and 11:23?
Media reports tell us that passengers onboard the plane, foreseeing the worst, frantically made contact with family members to say “I love you” one last time... Some even managed to buy Wi-Fi under those harrowing circumstances to text loved ones. Some said they had to prioritize who to call during their anticipated last moments.
Thank G-d for Tammie Shults, that awesome pilot who made a safe landing, but this story did get me thinking:
“What if I had only 20 minutes to live? How would I spend them? Who would I contact? And In what order? Who would I want to apologize to, or encourage one last time?”
And then I realized, why wait for the ‘end’ to do what’s most important, if I can do those things right now!
We all have important goals in life, which often end up on the backburner because of some pressing current reality. However, now and then, it’s important to recalibrate, and remind ourselves to prioritize our goals and ‘to do’ list, to truly reflect what matters most. Call your loved ones today!
Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat!
Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky