One of my most powerful "I Love Life" interviews (over the past 35 years) was with the wife of  one of the pilots that died upon crashing the plane into the World Trade Center.

Cheryl shares powerful testimony.  Here's a recap of the segment:

Cheryl McGuinness knows exactly what it means to feel crushed, alone and confused.  On the morning of September 11th, 2001, Cheryl kissed her husband good-bye.  She never saw him again.  Tom was the co pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles, the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center.

“It’s a day I will never forget.  The chief pilot came to my house and gave me the official word that Flight 11 had been hijacked and deliberately flown into the World Trade Center and there were no survivors.  I was devastated, hysterical and screaming, ‘No God, please don’t call him home.’”

At that moment, Cheryl was in a state of shock.  “It took some time for it to really sink in. I just received word my husband was gone and then we went to war.  It was so surreal.  It was very difficult in those early days.”

In her book, Beauty Beyond the Ashes, Cheryl tells her story of loss and offers encouragement to those of us recovering from tragedy of all kinds.  People affected by difficulties such as a long illness of a loved one or a divorce can benefit as well.

As a national speaker for her ministry,  Cheryl talks about the healing power of forgiveness.  In her words, “If you harbor anger, it will destroy you.  Anger soon turns to bitterness and bitterness renders the heart hard and unloving.  You become like those who have hurt you.”

In other words, Cheryl McGuinness says "bitterness defeats life.  Forgiveness carries it on."  Words of wisdom from a woman of faith!

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