I Remember: The Space Shuttle Challenger

I Remember with Eileen Fein

In this episode I am talking about the Space Shuttle Challenger, and the moments of connection it has had with her over the course of more than three decades. On that 1986 mission, NASA wanted to find an "ordinary person," a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit. Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teach from Lanham, Maryland was selected from more than 11,000 applicants. She would be the first teacher in space. Because of this, I and millions of other kids watched this event unfold live. It was exciting to be together, all focused on the same thing, all feeling the same thing - joy. The joy of reaching for the stars. Yet, as President Reagan said at the crew's memorial, sometimes when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain. Decades later, I can now appreciate these words and find peace in them. That our lives are a journey towards fulfillment, and on that journey there will be moments of suffering and love, of pain and joy, and of grief and peace. It is how we connect with each other during these moments that matters most on our journey. Because connection is our life’s purpose.