Woman who had lost her dad unexpectedly wished to see her final moments with him–what some airport staff did next was worth applause
In moments of loss, people often cling to memories, whether it's photos, old messages or even small habits that remind them of their loved ones. For Megan Cyr, she wanted to see the final moments she shared with her father before he passed away. Megan, who is from St. Andrews, Manitoba, but now lives in Calgary, Alberta, spent the holidays of 2020 at home with her family. On December 28, she was supposed to catch a flight back to Calgary, but she had misread her departure time, thinking it was 7 PM instead of 7 AM. Instead of leaving that night, she rebooked her flight for the next morning, unknowingly giving herself one extra evening with her father, Curtis Cyr, reported CTV News.
The next morning, Curtis drove Megan to the airport. She had packed 12 homemade breakfast burritos in her carry-on and was worried security might confiscate them. So he went in after his daughter. She recalled, "My dad patiently waited to ensure no burrito was wasted. I gave him a thumbs-up once they went through the scanner, and that was the last time I saw him alive." On January 3, 2021, Megan received the heartbreaking news that Curtis had suffered a heart attack in their family home. "I was stunned and shattered, provinces away at his time of death," she said, as per Daily Mail.
Days later, as she processed her loss, she remembered their final goodbye at the airport. She wished she could see that moment again and that's when she had an idea. She said, "I immediately felt nudged to email Winnipeg airport. I understood that a request for security footage would likely be denied but had to act on what I saw and felt in my spirit." After sending her request, she decided to let it go. But to her surprise, the airport staff responded and they worked to find the footage. For weeks, they kept her updated. Then, on January 20, 2021, Megan received the recording.
The one-minute-long video showed Megan and Curtis at the security checkpoint, talking and sharing two hugs before she walked away. "There is no logical reason I should have a video of our last goodbye. Typically, those moments are granted when we can anticipate someone’s death," she reflected. Having the footage has been both beautiful and painful. Megan admitted, "Do I desperately wish this video didn’t exist and wasn’t as significant as it is? Yes. But am I eternally grateful for the kindness of strangers and undeniable divine intervention? Also, yes." Megan noted that "as you get further along in grief, it gets harder to remember and to feel what it was like to be with that person." But with the footage, she knows she will never forget.
Megan also said she was sharing her story now to remind people of the good in the world. She said, "Loss and mourning has this beautifully heartbreaking way of connecting people and feeling seen and understood by someone you don’t even know." She hopes that by telling her story, it will bring comfort to others. As for the Winnipeg airport staff, Megan says there are no words to describe her gratitude. She praised them, saying, "The fact that they went above and beyond to get me that is just an incredible act of kindness. I will be thankful for the rest of my life for that video."