The Slice: One of the best tasks at this time of year

Let’s see a show of hands.

How many love going to the airport to pick someone up?

OK. Now how many really love it?

I see. I am not alone.

I am not just referring to being the one to deliver the welcoming embrace near the baggage carousels. Everybody enjoys that.

I’m talking about reveling in the whole undertaking of going to the airport to pick someone up.

You know, deciding when you need to leave home, finding a good place to park, going in and checking the flights monitor. The whole deal.

There’s something about driving out there to collect an arriving visitor or returning family member that makes it a thoroughly rewarding experience. For some, it is an underrated highlight of the holiday season.

Sure, getting to greet a loved one is a happy thing. That much is obvious.

But there’s something about airport pickup duty that’s brimming with potential. Much like the holidays themselves, anticipation can be the best part.

Maybe the actual visit will turn out to be an emotional roller coaster. But while you are waiting to spot that certain face in the crowd of arriving passengers, you smile inside.

And there’s something about being the one to go out to the airport that quietly suggests the family trusts you to manage the task and be on time.

Your presence out there will signal to the person who flew to Spokane that all is well. Everything is under control.

You don’t need a sign. But if you had one, it might say, simply, “I am here for you.”

It’s such a pleasure to say that, and without uttering a word.

Those greeting arriving passengers cannot go to the gate anymore, of course. Now we lurk by the baggage carousels or some other prearranged rendezvous point. That has not changed the essential dynamics.

That first glimpse of your loved one is still powerful.

Maybe airport pickup duty would not be quite so enjoyable if Spokane International was not such a manageable experience. But it is. It’s like Spokane.

It’s just right. And when you get to be there as the welcoming committee waiting for someone you care about, playing host feels nearly perfect.

Slice answer: Regarding those who say “Thank you for your service,” veteran Norval Mitchell admitted he’s not really impressed.

He suspects it’s just something people have learned to say. Whether they actually mean it is another matter entirely, he said.

Today’s Slice question: Is there a way to view the potential for tension at Thanksgiving as an opportunity?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Cranberries: Yes or no?