Grieving Mom Flying to Bury Her Son Receives Note from a Flight Attendant That Makes Her Cry

A flight attendant showed remarkable empathy to a grieving lady who was on her way to bury her son, who passed away tragically. How did he do it? With some words scribbled on a napkin.

Death hurts us all no matter what form it takes. While some can keep all their anguish and sadness hidden while mourning a loved one, others have a more challenging time controlling their emotions.

Devoted mother, Tricia Belstra, falls in that category, and who can blame her? She had learned that her son Kyle had passed on and not in the best of ways — here are the details.

IT WAS A SUICIDE 

Tricia had been in her Colorado home when she got the news that her son, a Walmart manager, whom she later described as a good kid, had passed away after committing suicide in his girlfriend’s room on August 12, 2017. 

“It was the worst day,” Tricia told the BBC. “That whole week, I was devastatingly ill and distraught.”

After getting the news, she promptly set off for South Bend, Indiana, to bury her son with her daughter and other family members.

AN UNLIKELY SUPPORTER 

Tricia felt terrible, and she spent most of her time on the flight feeling nauseous, shaky, and overwhelmed. It had been so bad; she had to keep a sick bag between her knees at all times.

She was attended to by a young male flight attendant who helped her pour drinks during the flight. Eventually, he asked her what was wrong, and the lady poured out her heart to him, not caring that he was a total stranger. 

He listened, and perhaps that made Tricia feel better, but that’s not all he did. After hearing her story, the young man wrote her a letter of encouragement, but he didn’t get it to her until she stepped off the flight. 

THE WORDS SHE HELD ON TO

The attendant did not have access to paper on the flight, but he substituted it with a napkin, and it worked well. 

It began: “In 2004, my family lost my older brother. As traumatic as it still is for me, I can’t even pretend to truly know the pain you feel as a mother. I did, however, watch my mother’s grieving process (a process that will never end).”

It continued by pointing out that being a mom has to do with giving birth to new life and that her mission doesn’t end just because her son passed. 

“Your son’s life is bigger than his death and always will be,” the letter read. “My mom struggled desperately chasing a faraway goal of somehow lessening the pain. As she has realized now, the pain hardly lessens.”

He urged her not to spend her energy pursuing a way to lessen the pain but instead to find opportunities to help her experience joy. 

“This is your story, and you owe it to yourself and your son to make sure that you survive this. Do not pressure yourself,” the young man wrote.

When he ran out of space in front, he turned the napkin to the back and continued, “This world is full of people who do truly care about you, even if it doesn’t feel that way.”

The flight attendant further wrote: “I won’t stop thinking about you anytime soon or how you’re doing or what you’re up to. You’ll come out of this a stronger person, and I’ll be rooting for you the whole time.”

Tricia opened the letter at the terminal and, after reading the content, burst into tears at the beauty of the heartfelt words. A day later, she buried her son, and throughout the ceremony, she held on to the napkin, drawing strength from it.

When she told the priest who presided over the sad event, he told her the young man had been one of God’s angels, and hoping to protect it; she laminated it. It was evidence of divine touch, and she wasn’t about to lose it.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.