The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WHEN Myles Chairo Munroe Jr first heard about the fatal Independence plane crash, he was instantly reminded of the overwhelming grief and heartbreak he felt after losing his parents in a similar tragedy more than a decade ago -a loss he says “you never really get over” but just learn to live with.

The 42-year-old, who is expecting his second child with his wife, told The Tribune yesterday that news of plane crashes is never easy to hear, but said this tragedy struck especially hard because of the number of lives lost.

Ten people died when a Flamingo aircraft crashed near San Andros airport on Independence Day — one more than the nine people killed in the 2014 Grand Bahama crash that claimed the lives of his parents, Dr Myles Munroe and his wife, Ruth.

Munroe and his party were heading to Freeport to attend the Global Leadership Forum before the tragedy struck.

“Man, it it really really took me back,” his son, Mr Munroe Jr said yesterday. "And I think one of the things that stands out the most is a lot of the misinformation that that circles during like the early stages of the reporting and you know I could remember the many things that I was hearing at the time.”

Mr Munroe Jr said he hopes people will be more sensitive to "the realities" families face in the aftermath of devastating tragedies.

He described hearing the stories that emerged after this month's plane crash as "surreal," saying he was especially moved by the residents who rushed to comfort the lone survivor in the final moments.

At the same time, he said his heart ached for the victims' families, who now have to live with those images.

“That had to be a really difficult situation so I really feel for the families," he said. "I tell people all the time like even though I personally may have like gone through a similar experience, like it's not the same so every every situation, every incident like related to a plane crash is different.”

He said while they share the experience of losing a loved one, every tragedy is different and each person copes with grief in their own way.

He said moving forward means living each day with purpose while carrying on his family's legacy.

That mission now centres on building the Munroe Institute of Leadership, a vision he said his father had big dreams for.

Today, Mr Munroe Jr and his team are working to achieve those goals step by step, developing leadership and personal development programmes that continue the work his father started.

He said other initiatives are in the pipeline to honour his parent’s legacy - with more announcements expected soon.

As for his advice to the affected families, he said: “Don’t rush your grieving process.”

He stressed there is no set timeline for healing and encouraged those hurting to remember the good memories of their loved ones, saying that is what has helped him cope.

He said: “It's not gonna feel different, you know two days from now, two weeks from now, two months from now, two years from now, right? There's no telling how long it'll take for you to feel maybe not over it, but a little more at peace because you really never get over it, right? You just learn how to live with this new reality.”

“This November will make 12 years, but it doesn't feel like 12 years,” he added.

Mr Munroe Jr said accepting that some things in life are beyond our control has also helped him heal.

He said his father often reminded the family that life is unpredictable and encouraged them to live each day with purpose.