I was scheduled to fly out of New York to Florida this past Saturday to attend my brother’s funeral on Sunday (4/3) and Sunday 4/4). On the way to the airport I got a travel alert that my flight had been delayed a half hour. That was fine, I thought. A half hour wasn’t a biggie. But then a few minutes later I got another alert. My flight had been delayed two hours. Then four hours. By the time I arrived at the airport I was alerted that my flight wasn’t going to depart till 2:30AM and I wouldn’t be arriving at my destination in Florida till 5:30 in the morning. In other words, I was going to be exhausted, tired and cranky if and when I ever arrived in Florida to attend my brother’s funeral. Not to worry, thought I. Because in another alert, my flight was completely cancelled due to the horrific thunderstorms inundating the major Florida airports. And to make matters worse, because it was Spring Break, with thousands and thousands of travelers before me, the earliest I could get out of NY was Sunday. My airline could have gotten me on a flight out of Newark, New Jersey but only to Orlando by 5:30PM. I needed to be in Sarasota by 6PM. Mission Impossible and improvable.
Click here for more info:
Airlines canceled hundreds of weekend flights and thousands more were delayed as thunderstorms in Florida slowed traffic in one of the country’s top travel destinations during spring break.
More than 6,000 U.S. flights were delayed and 1,930 were canceled on Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Disruptions continue on Sunday with nearly 1,540 canceled and more than twice that number of delays, though Monday schedules appeared to stabilize.
Thunderstorms are especially challenging for airlines because they are harder to predict and plan for compared with other weather like winter storms and hurricanes, during which airlines often cancel flights hours if not days in advance.
So, I never got to attend my brother’s long awaited funeral (he died two years ago from covid and was cremated. because of the pandemic we couldn’t get together as a family and mourn his passing. till now) I never got to see my brother’s in laws, wife, children or grandchildren again. We all know they won’t be keeping in touch with me. They all will go their own way and never will our paths cross again. My SIL will probably remarry or meet someone else and start new family relationships with another extended family. It was my brother who kept us all together. Either way, neither my sister nor I will be included in anything. I accept that.
I just wanted to be immersed in my brother’s life just one more time. Apparently, the powers that be thought otherwise. I’ll never see my brother ever again. I won’t see any of his travel photos or hear anything about his wife, his kids or grandkids. We’ll all just fade away in the sun.
Another painful rung in the ladder of my life.
That’s all it is. That’s all it ever is, isn’t it?

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I’m so very sorry you missed it. Things happen for a reason. You can reach out to them the next time you are in Sarasota. Sometimes we assume things that aren’t really there, and they want to be a part of the family of their loved ones as well. You never know until you try. Your brother knows and has your back. 😉
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Hi Cindi, I was worried your flight got cancelled with the terrible weather in Florida recking havoc on flying. Perhaps a personal phone call to each of the relatives you missed seeing and asking if there were any fond memories they shared that you missed about your brother. And share one of yours that they hadn’t heard about from his childhood. Sincerely, Lara
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Lara, in these past two years since my brother died, not one of my brother’s in laws, sons or grandchildren tried to call me, contact me or reach out to me. I knew once I got to the Memorial it was going to be the last time I would see my brother’s ‘other’ family. For that, I am very, very sorry that I didn’t make it there. Hindsight is 20/20. My sister, God love her soul, went around and took pictures of everyone, so at least I have that. One of my brother’s dearest friends is also one of my childhood friends. We all grew up together. He asked my sister to please have me get in touch with him and I did. He’s the closest link to my brother and I am his closest link to his now deceased best friend (my brother). We made plans to get together.He and his wife are looking to move out of NYC and up in to the mountains (which is where I live) so he and his wife will be coming up here soon. It is a soothing patch over a broken heart that at least I have this one last connection to my brother. I am certain he will be telling me many, many stories about my brother that I never knew before. So, all is not lost.
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