Liminal Space

Liminal: of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional

I love liminal spaces. Airports are my favorite.

The moment that I have dreamed about for 18 months was even better than my nighttime visions.

There were seven of us flying into Salt Lake City, four elders and three sisters. We waited until everyone else was off the plane, and then we delayed a little longer by stopping by the restrooms. When we arrived at the escalators, we froze. There was a great debate about who should go first, but no one volunteered as tribute. We were stuck in a liminal space, too excited and jittery to burst into a new world. 

God sent an angel. He didn't look like one, but I'm sure he was. A nonassuming airport serviceman. He was a smiley man of hispanic descent with a small stud in each ear. He shouted to us as we hovered by the moving stairs.

"Scared?"

We responded in the affirmative. 

"Follow me! They can't see you if you come down the elevator."

Sneak-attack! It was a brilliant plot. We piled into the elevator made only for wheelchairs (this was permissible because he was pushing a woman in a wheelchair, and he had a badge that made him look official enough). It was a short descent. 

He spoke encouraging words over his shoulders while he pushed us down the hall, around the corner...

and there was Ellie on Dad's shoulders. And then a blur of banners and a roaring kindred crowd. I headed to the left where I knew my family was. I didn't mean to cry, but it felt so safe. I felt relief. 

The mission is oh, so good. 
But I'm quite sure that I have passed from a telestial sphere to one nearly celestial.

"Our heaven is little more than a projection of our homes into eternity" --Richard L Stephens