"Thank you for taking me home." A woman's letter to her pilots after the Germanwings tragedy.

“Thank you for taking me home. Thank you for doing so safely.”

It’s a frightening time to be flying. But the letter one woman’s handed to a pilot aboard a European flight has made it a little less terrifying for everyone.

The woman, named Bethanie, wrote her pilots a letter after her plane arrived safely in England. Bethanie lives between Spain and England, and flies all the time.

After the Germanwings tragedy, it’s understandable that flying can be awash with worry and anxiety – for passengers, yes, but also for pilots.

Related: Captain Patrick Sondheimer. That’s the pilot’s name you want to remember.

Bethanie’s letter was the perfect sentiment during a time that is tainted with grief and pain.

She writes:

“Dear pilots of the plane taking me home,

In light of the very recent tragedy in the French Alps and the loss of those poor 150 people, I feel the need to reach out to you and extend a compassionate hand. At the end of the day, we are all humans just trying to live this rollercoaster of a life we have been handed. I understand an event so horrific as this one affects those with your responsibility more than others, and maybe sometimes a kind word, random but heartfelt, can make a difference. I’m hoping to create a ripple effect and spread some compassion and understanding.

Thank you for taking me home. Thank you for doing so safely. Thank you for allowing me to live the life I do in Spain and split my time with my family in England too. You make the excitement I feel now to see my family possible. I hope you get to see your families soon. I’ve had a wonderful flight and hope you have too. You’re making a massive difference and you’re the reason I can smile tonight.

Kindest regards,
Bethanie.”