This morning, my colleague Thuy and I were comparing iPhone photos.

Many of Thuy’s were spectacular: As an amateur pilot, she sees some pretty amazing landscapes. But the shots that most caught my eye came from the day her engine caught fire. Fortunately, she hadn’t yet taken off; and luckily, she walked away unscathed.

Then my colleague Jaimi piped in about a blog she’d found recently, by an artist who had survived a small plane crash. (Just barely.)

The nieniedialogues are all at once beautiful, heartbreaking, funny, and inspiring.

Once again, I’m humbled by the strength of the human spirit—and the power of the written word.