Thanks for sharing, Michelle. I’m sure it must’ve been painful to have to relive his death and your grief by watching the show. May his memory be a blessing. ❤️
Beautifully written. You and your family bring dignity and grace to a situation that is the opposite, a fete of huge proportions. I’m encouraged to know there are journalists and people in the movie industry who are willing to do the work it takes to represent what really happened. I’m sure it is partly because of the way all the families have worked together.
Appreciate so much your reflection on the series. After everything your family and the others have done to fight for justice and truth through grief, public interest, and spin, I’m so glad you feel the story has finally been told with thought and care. Even if, I imagine, it comes with some mixed feelings.
Thank you for sharing a part of your dad with us. What a smile.
Michelle, thank you for sharing these thoughts and opening your heart and mind so that others can gain a better understanding. Your writing is so compelling and your emotions come through so clearly, it is impossible not to be impacted.
Thanks for this thoughtful and generous piece, Michelle. How painful it must be to go through that tragedy, and then have it constantly rehashed and retold for public consumption. Your commentary is also a great media analysis lesson, as it would be, on how to read a piece like this for sensitivity and accuracy. I am relieved to hear you say it was done with care. I often think about my dad, who was a Holocaust survivor, one of two surviving members of his immediate family. Any time I see a movie on the subject I have very mixed feelings – I am glad the story is being told, I know the form it takes it is often manipulative and reductive, and I am also quite aware, on a very personal level, that the reality of what those people endured, and what they had to do to survive, can never really be conveyed. In the end, it’s almost as if the event in the collective memory and the one that happened in our family are two separate stories, and only one of them belongs to us. Of course my father was never individually portrayed in any of those narratives, which must be a whole other magnitude of grief to deal with. Sending you a big hug. PS You have your dad’s wonderful smile.
This is incredibly touching and positive, Michelle. Kudos to the film makers for their integrity and to you, for the grace you show them. What I cannot fathom is the moral compass of the conspiracy theorists who create malicious fables about this tragedy to make money or entertain each other.
That memory book gave me such a rich picture of who your father was and still I know it could never capture him in full. He was a lovely man with a beautiful family as his legacy. What an astounding tribute to him and his life. The photos were so lovely. I was in tears almost instantly. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
I truly appreciate your take on this, especially as someone who got to work with the production team and understand the care they were trying to take in telling this story. I still cannot imagine what it would be like to see your family depicted in a dramatized setting like this, even with all the thought that was put into it.
Speaking as someone who lost three family members on Pan Am 103, I'm struggling enough with my feelings that something like this even exists. It really does feel like being caught between two very different emotions—the surreal reality of having your tragedy dramatized, while also wanting people to know the story because the story deserves to be told.
I'm glad to hear a bit more of the background and the care that was taken in retelling it. Thank you for sharing.
I also appreciated the photos of your dad at the end. Always remembering alongside you. ❤️
Thank you so much for reading. Your words are quite poignant. I feel so similarly - how does this even exist?!?!? The tension you describe between wanting the story to be told but also feeling so weird about the story being told is one I feel acutely. Thinking of you.
May your 3 family members be remembered for their beautiful lives. I knew and lost a friend on that flight and think of him often. Hugs to all that knew them.
I see so much of you in your handsome, smiling dad, Michelle. Thank you for this—and for all your continued advocacy. 💜
Best compliment ever. ❤️
Thanks for sharing, Michelle. I’m sure it must’ve been painful to have to relive his death and your grief by watching the show. May his memory be a blessing. ❤️
Thank you!🙏
Beautifully written. You and your family bring dignity and grace to a situation that is the opposite, a fete of huge proportions. I’m encouraged to know there are journalists and people in the movie industry who are willing to do the work it takes to represent what really happened. I’m sure it is partly because of the way all the families have worked together.
❤️❤️❤️
Appreciate so much your reflection on the series. After everything your family and the others have done to fight for justice and truth through grief, public interest, and spin, I’m so glad you feel the story has finally been told with thought and care. Even if, I imagine, it comes with some mixed feelings.
Thank you for sharing a part of your dad with us. What a smile.
❤️❤️❤️
This is awesome cuz xoxoxo
Michelle, thank you for sharing these thoughts and opening your heart and mind so that others can gain a better understanding. Your writing is so compelling and your emotions come through so clearly, it is impossible not to be impacted.
Thank you for reading and for your kind response!
Thanks for this thoughtful and generous piece, Michelle. How painful it must be to go through that tragedy, and then have it constantly rehashed and retold for public consumption. Your commentary is also a great media analysis lesson, as it would be, on how to read a piece like this for sensitivity and accuracy. I am relieved to hear you say it was done with care. I often think about my dad, who was a Holocaust survivor, one of two surviving members of his immediate family. Any time I see a movie on the subject I have very mixed feelings – I am glad the story is being told, I know the form it takes it is often manipulative and reductive, and I am also quite aware, on a very personal level, that the reality of what those people endured, and what they had to do to survive, can never really be conveyed. In the end, it’s almost as if the event in the collective memory and the one that happened in our family are two separate stories, and only one of them belongs to us. Of course my father was never individually portrayed in any of those narratives, which must be a whole other magnitude of grief to deal with. Sending you a big hug. PS You have your dad’s wonderful smile.
Such a beautiful and thoughtful response! Thank you for reading and for sharing so personally.
This is incredibly touching and positive, Michelle. Kudos to the film makers for their integrity and to you, for the grace you show them. What I cannot fathom is the moral compass of the conspiracy theorists who create malicious fables about this tragedy to make money or entertain each other.
Thank you for reading!
Michelle this is beautifully expressed. I will watch and think about these images of your handsome father.
Thank you for reading!!!
Thank you for sharing these reflections and your personal story
Thank you for reading! Hope you are well!
That memory book gave me such a rich picture of who your father was and still I know it could never capture him in full. He was a lovely man with a beautiful family as his legacy. What an astounding tribute to him and his life. The photos were so lovely. I was in tears almost instantly. Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for these beautiful words and for taking the time to get to know my dad.
Thank you for writing this
Thank you for reading it!
Michele
Your comments were important. I am grateful you shared. What a dynamic force you are!
Thank you so much!
I truly appreciate your take on this, especially as someone who got to work with the production team and understand the care they were trying to take in telling this story. I still cannot imagine what it would be like to see your family depicted in a dramatized setting like this, even with all the thought that was put into it.
Speaking as someone who lost three family members on Pan Am 103, I'm struggling enough with my feelings that something like this even exists. It really does feel like being caught between two very different emotions—the surreal reality of having your tragedy dramatized, while also wanting people to know the story because the story deserves to be told.
I'm glad to hear a bit more of the background and the care that was taken in retelling it. Thank you for sharing.
I also appreciated the photos of your dad at the end. Always remembering alongside you. ❤️
Thank you so much for reading. Your words are quite poignant. I feel so similarly - how does this even exist?!?!? The tension you describe between wanting the story to be told but also feeling so weird about the story being told is one I feel acutely. Thinking of you.
May your 3 family members be remembered for their beautiful lives. I knew and lost a friend on that flight and think of him often. Hugs to all that knew them.