My Dad was a Navy Pilot, who was KIA when I was 11 months old. The worst part of this tragedy was that my family chose not to talk about it. I carried this behavioral blueprint with me most of my life. As I learn and grow, I am documenting my process in hopes to normalize the discussion of grief. Our consciousnesses navigates our bodies through this experience, thus making all of us pilots. I remove the bodies of the pilots, leaving the shell to resemble our physical shells. This makes the paintings not about a specific person or pilot, but about the human experience. The light represents the positive lessons that come from within or externally, in the end it is up to us to choose if we take those lessons on, in order to grow and heal. By talking about my healing, I hope to encourage others to share their experiences and connect us all.