During this past year we’ve been doing our estate planning. Yes, it is long overdue. In completing it, I even did a rough outline of my funeral program, that was a rather surreal experience. As I was working on it, I kept thinking, “What gives me the Audacity Of Hope, to think I’m going to have a normal funeral?”
Throughout the annals of History for many, that has not been the case. Watching the aftermath in North Carolina of hurricane Helene brought all that back to my memory. So many lost, swept away by the floods, never to be recovered. It has become a sacred place.
Here in California, so far away, it can feel so hopeless with no way to help when such a tragedy of that magnitude strikes. Richard has made many Mooney friends and over the years we’ve been able to meet many of them in person. They are all great people with a love of flying and helping those around them.
I was so grateful to see that Hank was flying in supplies along with other pilots through an organization called Operation Air Drop.
Operation Air Drop Mission
Our mission is to respond swiftly and effectively in times of crisis, ensuring that essential supplies reach those in need when traditional ground transportation is compromised.
We believe that no community should be left without aid during their most challenging moments. By coordinating with volunteer pilots and a diverse fleet of aircraft, we aim to fill the gaps in emergency response efforts, delivering life-saving supplies—such as food, water, medical necessities, and personal hygiene items—to isolated areas. Our passionate team of volunteers works tirelessly to mobilize resources, collaborate with local charities, and ensure that help arrives as quickly as possible.
In the midst of this incomprehensible tragedy, it was a tender sight to cheer on people who found the Audacity to Hope, to make a difference, to lift another, and to be God’s hands.
I had found a place, where men and women create their own hope.
To donate to Operation Air Drop go to their website here or directly to this link: Donate
“Such is the audacity of man, that he hath learned to counterfeit Nature, yea, and is so bold as to challenge her in her work.” – Pliny the Elder
