We were married August 7, 1985, and just a few months after we were married I became pregnant with our first son. It was a time of excitement looking forward to becoming parents. I worked 20 or so hours a week doing hair at a Command Performance Salon. I was getting used to carrying around a little more weight, and would sometimes have to relax after work by putting my feet up. All feelings, events, and plans seemed to revolve around this little human that would join our family in July 1986. It’s amazing how much you can’t plan or know.

Meanwhile…

The world was busy with all sorts of things. One thing that came up often on the news was that NASA had picked a teacher, Christa McAuliffe to go into space with the astronauts and teach lessons to the students here, on earth. I believe it was a contest to encourage interest in the space program. The world had grown indifferent to the space program, and having this sweet, wonderful woman volunteer to be a part of all that being an astronaut is, made the whole country excited. We all watched for months as the astronauts and the teacher prepared for the day they would take off and share the whole thing with all of us interested people.

As the day approached for take off, there were issues. Things happened that prevented them taking off. One issue that I remember was kind of silly, and I really wondered if they were supposed to go! The hatch door wouldn’t close, and they finally just cut the hinge to get the astronauts out and wait for another day.

On the day they ended up going, the temperature was unseasonably cold for Florida. There were ice cycles all over the launch pad and the space shuttle. The people at NASA were concerned, the people at Thoikol, a Utah based company that made the rocket boosters were concerned, everyone involved with the decision to take off or not were wondering what to do.

The decision was made that the shuttle would go.

The shuttle Challenger took off. Everything seemed fine. The family and students all watching the launch, when there seemed to be an explosion and the different parts- the shuttle, the rocket boosters and the external fuel tank all seemed to separate and everyone just sat there staring. Some with their mouths open, some with a puzzled look on their face. The men at the NASA headquarters even looked shocked. One of the men said, “Obviously a major malfunction.”

The Challenger was gone, it broke apart. With everyone watching, devastated.

I was at work on the day the Challenger disaster happened. Once the world knew what had happened the news networks talked about it a lot. It was so hard to watch. It was so sad to see the family members and know that many schools had students watching when this happened. Can you imagine how the world changed that day. All of those young souls seeing such a tragedy in real time. I will never forget. When I got home from work I sat with my feet propped up and watched repeat after repeat of what happened. Our country was so sad. Our country had lost 7 brave souls in the blink of an eye. They were here, then they were not.

Life is tough. It’s not fair. I feel such sorrow for those whose lives changes forever on that day.

Riley was born on July 19th 1986, almost six months after the disaster. He changed our lives and blessed our days. He had a birthday and became a one year old. He had another birthday and became a two year old. He was saying words and noticing everything. He discovered airplanes, only he called them Maymay’s.

On the morning of September 29, 1988 Riley and I watched the Space Shuttle Discovery launch on the TV. It had almost been three years since the Challenger disaster. I’m sure he pointed at the the TV and said, “Maymay!” I told him how important it was that Discovery took off and had a successful trip. The five crew members would make it home to see their families.

I cried when I watched the launch of Discovery, just like I cried when I watched the Challenger.

The type of people who become astronauts and even a teacher who are willing to fly to space to teach a lesson or two are the kind of people who make me proud of our country and proud of the best part of humanity. They will to do amazing things and they’re not afraid to pay the ultimate price for it.

I’m the kind of person who looks up to those kind of people. I watch in awe of their bravery. I love and share what they do with my children and shed a tear and feel sad when it doesn’t work out. I also feel such happiness and gratitude when it does work out!