We all have hopes and dreams. Sometimes, we achieve those dreams and other times we don’t. Whether we like it or not, that’s just how life is.
Unfortunately, even if we work extremely hard and do all of the right things, some of the things that we desire simply aren’t attainable. Other times, our dreams are within our reach but we need a little bit of help from another person to make those dreams a reality. This is one of those times.
Southwest flight attendant Vicki Heath met Tracy Sharp on a flight to Houston. Tracy was flying home after a visit with her family. On the flight, she shared with Vicki that it was her lifelong dream to be a flight attendant. Tracy happens to have Down Syndrome, but Vicki decided that shouldn’t stop the young woman from achieving her dreams. She decided to do whatever she needed to help.
“We met on the airplane, and look at that smile, OK,” Vicki told interviewers. That first meeting turned into a friendship that would eventually lead to a dream come true for Tracy.
Vicki put a plan in motion but knew she would have to navigate a little bit of red tape to get things done. She approached Southwest with a request: she would like Tracy to fly with her as an “assistant” flight attendant. While the actual logistics of working as an assistant weren’t too difficult, some work was required to meet all of the security requirements. In the end, Vicki’s plan came together and Tracy was able to live out her dream.
“Oh, you’re going to make me cry,” she said after being asked how she felt about making Tracy’s dream a reality. “I feel like I’m living my purpose-driven life, and that’s huge.”
The day finally arrived. Dressed in her red Southwest uniform, Tracy greeted passengers as they boarded the flight just like a real flight attendant. She assisted Vicki in all of her tasks and even earned her wings on the flight. As an added bonus, her parents were also on the flight and were able to witness their daughter living out her dreams.
“I just can’t believe that she gets the opportunity to do something she’s wanted to do,” Tracy’s mother, Linda Sharp, said.
As the plane landed, the passengers gave Tracy a round of applause for all of her hard work.
Tracy’s story reminds us all that we can live out our dreams! Watch the heartwarming story in the video below!
