I really liked this. Happy Easter to all. > > > > > WHO PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE? > > > > > > Charles Plumb was a U.S. Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. > > > After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a > > > surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted > > > into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in > > > a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal > > > and now lectures on lessons learned from that > > > experience. > > > > > > One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a > > > restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, > > > "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from > > > the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" > > > > > > "How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. > > > > > > "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb > > > gasped in surprise and gratitude. > > > > > > The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" > > > Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't > > > worked, I wouldn't be here today." > > > > > > Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that > > > man. Plumb says,! "I kept wondering what he might have > > > looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in > > > the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many > > > times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good > > > morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I > > > was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." > > > > > > Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent > > > on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, > > > carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of > > > each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of > > > someone he didn't know. > > > > > > Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your > > > parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what > > > they need to make it through the day. Plumb also > > > points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes > > > when his plane was shot down over enemy territory-he > > > needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, > > > his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. > > > He called on all these supports before reaching > > > safety. > > > > > > Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, > > > we miss what is really important. We may fail to say > > > hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on > > > something wonderful that has happened to them, give a > > > compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. > > > > > > As you go through this week, this month, this year, > > > recognize people who pack your parachute. I am sending > > > you this as my way of thanking you for your part in > > > packing my parachute !!! And I hope you will send it > > > on to those who have helped pack yours! > > > > > > Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes > > > to us without writing a word, maybe this could > > > explain: > > > When you are very busy, but still want to keep in > > > touch, guess what you do - --you forward jokes. > > > > > > And to let you know that you are still remembered, you > > > are still important, you are still loved, you are > > > still cared for, guess what you get ? --- A forwarded > > > joke. > > > > > > So my friend, next time if you get a joke, don't think > > > that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but > > > that you've been thought of today and your friend on > > > the other end of your computer wanted to send you a > > > smile. _________________________________________________________________