Modesty as Big as the Moon

Neil had always loved aeroplanes. He saw a plane for the very first time at the age of two, when his dad took him to an air race. From then on, Neil would run around the apartment with his arms outstretched. His room gradually became filled with all sorts of model planes. On top of this, his parents never missed an opportunity to take him to all the aviation events.

After his two younger siblings were born, his parents had less time to devote to Neil’s hobby, which meant they couldn’t attend every air show any more. Neil was rather upset about that, but he understood. He liked playing with his younger brother and sister and was actually looking forward to them getting bigger so that they could all play aeroplanes together.

When Neil was six, his father prepared a huge surprise for him. It involved a trip to the airport. As they approached, Neil cried-out: “Look, Dad — it’s a Boeing 307! And next to that is a Ford plane, and behind that one is another Boeing! It’s fantastic to see these up close!”

“We’re not even there yet,” his dad informed him with a smile.

You see, Neil didn’t realise that a sightseeing flight was awaiting them. Once they parked the car, he and his dad boarded the aircraft, sat down, and fastened their seat belts. Neil was super excited now. Soon they heard the pilot’s announcement, and the plane started preparing for take-off. Neil could barely breathe.

Once they were in the air, he spotted his school and even their house. He shouted with glee: “This is the best day of my life!”

Afterwards, Neil wanted nothing more than to fly in a plane again. But he knew that flying was an…