“You’re a Sadie.” Suddenly his eyes lit up. I felt like I was looking through a telescope aimed at a night of shooting stars. He was alive, sincere, and impassioned. I could almost feel the inspiration that he was trying to share. It was the makings for a very warm, very tender moment. The only thing missing was that I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. Breaking him out of his glee, I asked.

“Sam.”

“Yes?”

“Who is Sadie?”

“You don’t know who Sadie is?”

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t. Is that someone in your family?”

“No. Sadie is from the movie.”

“What movie?”

“The only movie.Funny Girl !! Sadie was the only married lady in the neighborhood. That’s who Fanny Brice grew up wanting to be like. And that’s you. Sadie. Sadie, Sadie, married lady.”

I sort of liked the sound of that. Saying it to myself over and over, I decided it had a ring to it. Sadie, Sadie, married lady. “Did she end up getting married? Fanny, I mean.”

“Oh, yeah. She got married to Mr. Arnstein. They moved into a big house, bought big cars, and made lots of money.” I had hope, even if it was vicarious. “But it didn’t last.”

“It didn’t? They lost the house?”

“The house, the money, the cars, and eventually each other. Everything.”

“That’s not good.”

“But in losing it all, she found what was most important.”

“What?”

“What, what?”

“What was most important?”

“Oh! She found out that the most important love was the love she found for herself. Remember, Montana, the glass is always half full.”

“Well, half full may be good enough for Fanny but I still want to believe that love’s going to pour me a glass that’s full.”

“And it will, Montana, because you are a winner and winning means freeing yourself from negative thoughts and negative people. You are Sadie. You’re Sadie, Sadie, married lady. And never ever ever let anyone rain on your parade! And if they try, you look them straight in the eyes and you know what you tell them?”

“What?”

Sam snapped his fingers twice, and on cue the big band Broadway score of Funny Girl came pouring through the plane’s intercom as Sam began lip-syncing the theme from the film.

“Don’t tell me not to live, just sit and putter. Life’s candy and the sun’s a ball of butter. Don’t bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!”

Quickly, I grabbed a pen, trying to write down the words of the song as he continued.