“My flight from Chicago to Buffalo was packed.
‘Full flight,’ they announced.
I noticed a man when I was sitting before the plane boarded. He caught my attention for some reason…we exchanged glances and I felt a kind warmth rush over me.
I boarded first and he walked past me as I was sitting down and for some ‘Julie Quinn’ like reason I shouted, ‘come sit next to me!’ Who does that on an airplane?? Me! 
He kindly obliged and sat in the aisle seat while I was at the window.
I asked him how he was doing and he blurted, ‘I’m not well.’
You see, my new friend Brock is the cousin of Aaron Salter, Jr who was the retired police officer who was gunned down on Saturday. Brock was flying home to Buffalo from Tucson to be with his family and lean on his 19 first cousins as they get ready to bury Aaron.
Brock and I cried, we held hands and hugged, we laughed as he told me some funny stories about Aaron and how he had just talked to him on Friday. We had a cocktail. Exchanged info. I told him my story. We cried more. All in under about 90 mins.
I have a new friend for life.
He wasn’t even supposed to be on my flight but got rerouted 4 times earlier to finally make it on my flight.
I struggled on this vacation with what happened to my city while I was away, thinking of all the things I want to do to help…
And then God puts Brock beside me.
If you for one second don’t believe that things like this don’t happen for a reason, well…you’re crazy…(and if you know me well, you know this stuff always happens to me). I see and feel the signs everywhere and I’m so honored to have gotten to know a little bit more about Aaron and his family.
He’s not just a face and name anymore.
No senseless gun violence victim should be.
And if Brock and I have something to do with it? They won’t be.
Oh AND, on that full flight? The seat between Brock and I remained empty however, I believe it was filled with a force greater than either of us could have imagined.
Choose Love.” 
– Julie Quinn