On a Monday, a little more than a year ago I lost my dad, and best friend, too. Straight up, it's the hardest thing you'll probably have to do. It'll be really

On a Monday, a little more than a year ago I lost my dad, and best friend, too. Straight up, it's the hardest thing you'll probably have to do. It'll be really fucking hard, but with luck, you'll figure it out a new ay forward. Getting through the 'waves' of emotion and disbelief will be the most frustrating part at first. At the time my dad died I was working on private pilot's license and the most comforting thing I found was the consolations of aerodynamics, specifically the positive dynamic stability of a Cessna 172N aircraft. Perhaps what helped me get through my dad's death will help you. So I give you... Better Living Through Positive Dynamic Stability "Dynamic stability is how an airplane responds over time to a disturbance. Aircraft with positive dynamic stability have oscillations that dampen out over time. The Cessna 172 is a great example. If your 172 is trimmed for level flight, and you pull back on the yoke [causing the plane to pitch upwards] and then let go, the nose will immediately start pitching down. Depending on how much you pitched up initially, the nose will pitch down slightly nose low, and then, over time, pitch nose up again, but less than your initial control input. Over time, the pitching will stop, and your 172 will be back to its original attitude." [0] What's happened in your life is a lot like the aircraft above, except that instead of lightly pitching up, you've hit a strong disturbance and your aircraft has dramatically and unexpectedly changed its pitch upward, which has then caused your aircraft to in turn dramatically pitch downward. Your aircraft is now hurdling towards the earth, before it picking up enough airspeed to start pitching back up again. After pitching back up, the aircraft starts to lose airspeed and then it starts pitching back down again, hurdling back towards the earth, then it's pitches back up. Up and down and up and down through this harrowing oscillation. It's a crazy, stressful rollercoaster. While aircraft is going through these oscillation and seems out of control, the oscillations are just the result of the positive dynamic stability of the aircraft. You may not notice it initially, but the oscillations are dampening slightly each time. Over time pitching will stop and your aircraft will go back to it's initially attitude. This is what you must trust in, the positive dynamic stability of your aircraft (you). Eventually, you'll be flying straight and level again and along your intended path. Yes, you'll be shaken up by what's happened and you won't ever be the same again. But you'll have survived... that which you already knew was bound to happen at some point at some time. This is was always part of the deal. Just remember you're still flying and you've got places to be and great things to see, and you're going to be ok. [0] http://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aerodynamics/3-types-of-static-and-dynamic-stability-in-aircraft/ http://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aerodynamics/3-types-...