Daddy's President Report in The Arkansas Lawyer, January 2007

"Sudden Emergencies"

All pilots prepare for sudden emergencies, those moments when the engine sputters or goes silent, when a vacuum pump fails and instruments run awry, when the ominous darkness of weather closes in and our physical senses lead astray. We practice those emergencies so an encounter with reality is no shock. We learn to say "Mayday" three times if a landing is imminent, to tune the transponder to 7700 and our communications radio to 121.5. We learn to focus on just flying the airplane, and not so much on the symptom of the problem.
But the further distant our times of practice and the more hours we spend in perfect flying, engines purring, instruments consistently functioning, and the weather clear, the less prepared we become. For an emergency in an airplane is like a thief in the night, lurking unseen to appear at the least likely of times: while we sleep, taking flight for granted. Then, an emergency is truly a sudden one.
I find life no different. We simply take the continuation of the present circumstances for granted...
My family has also faced a sudden emergency lately. We were calmly asleep on October 19 when our son, Daniel, unexpectedly passed away in his sleep. With the support of our faith, our family and friends, we have faced this awakening reality, and have found reliving memories of a delightful young man is a source of comfort, and provides meaning to his difficult life.
Daniel was born under harsh circumstances, suffering a skull fracture at birth, an early symptom of a rare condition that affected him for the remainder of his twenty-nine years. By his own count, he survived "30 plus" surgeries, and was most often confined to very short walks or his Quickie wheel chair. He never let his physical condition defeat him, rather using his wit to endear him to family and friends forever. He will be remembered for his persistence, endurance, courage and his ability to love life regardless of his circumstances. His death was certainly a sudden emergency to his family and friends, but our flight, too, will be recovered and restored, although our preparation and practice had been dulled by complacency and years of engines purring, instruments working and clear weather prevailing. We encourage each of you to guard against such complacency.
Hug your loved ones often, and long.