Three women, strangers, seats 23D (aisle), 23E (center), 23F (window).
One soybean farmer, one blogger, one psychotherapist.
Flight delayed by weather at destination.
10,000 feet above ground, swiftly nearing landing.
23D and E heading for home.
23F preparing for romantic rendezvous with second husband.
Twenty years married, only one previous holiday sans kids—hers/his.
He’d joined his kids for one lap of their year sailing ‘round the world.
I have to pass through Portugal on my way home, he’d said.
Why don’t you meet me there? She was thrilled.
Meet in Lisbon, tour the countryside.
But…
Time was 7:40 PM. Connecting flight gates to close at 8:15.
Why don’t we change seats now? suggested 23D.
The change was made. Traveler-in-motion now seated on the aisle. Precious minutes saved.
Maybe tell the flight staff to call ahead? offered 23E.
The call was made. Anxiety easing.
I can’t find my boarding pass, lamented the traveler-in-motion.
Here it is, her companion said, picking it up from the floor.
A spontaneous warm hug from the traveler-in-motion.
Shared moments, caring among strangers. Empathy in action.
A week before Thanksgiving, but appropriate for the season.
Any season…
Annie
annieasksyou... 
Sweet
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Thank you, Susie.
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We’re here to help each other out.
Hello, Annie. Bye till next time.
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Hi, Neil. We sure are—and the more of us who feel that way, the better life on this planet—and this planet—will be. Thanks for your visit and like!
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Holiday travel is very high on the stress inducement list. Always nice to have kind seatmates (including a blogger) who are willing to help.
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And airplane travel even more so! Our impromptu “caring circle” helped us all.
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A Buddhist teacher’s quote recently crossed my path: “We don’t need more smart people, we need more kind people.”
Thx, Annie.
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Maybe it’s also “smart” to try to be kind?
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A lovely tale of kindness…
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Thank you; it was good to be a part of it.
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Kindness rules, I used to tell my students. How I wish it were true! Thank you for a lovely story that confirms it sometimes does 🙂 I was feeling low, and you lifted me up. Which makes me think: Kindness also ripples.
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I am so pleased this little anecdote lifted you up. So your kindness in telling me has rippled some more! We’ve got a good thing going here…
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Very nice story illustrating that people actually still have the capacity for kindness. I hope the traveler-in-motion made the connecting flight.
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Thank you, Fandango. I’m quite sure she made the flight because it was the same airline and the flight attendant called ahead to ask the pilots to wait for her. Nice that you were concerned: I think what a previous commenter said is true: kindness has a rippling effect!
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Very nice, Annie! I agree that everybody could use more empathy.
George
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Thanks, George. Good to hear from you!
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This is very sweet. The kindness of strangers, it’s always a lovely surprise when someone can help you out in some way like that, as it doesn’t always happen. Kindness doesn’t cost a thing, so a little more really would make the world a brighter place ♥
Caz xx
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Thank you, dear Caz. You’re quite right: kindness doesn’t cost a thing, and as a previous commenter observed: kindness ripples.
Best to you,
Annie xx
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Nice little Thanksgiving parable Annie. May we all reach out a helping hand to others.
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Thanks, Len.
And it came so easily— because we all chose to engage. If the traveler-in-motion had worried in silence, and we, her seat mates, had been oblivious to her plight, no good could have arisen.
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Very appropriate for the Thanksgiving season.
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Thanks, Christopher. And for any season, I hope…
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Wow! You can feel the love and caring between traveling strangers. Every day should be such. -Good story Annie-. For some reason I have to check your website for postings. I’m not getting notifications in my email. I’ll look into this, but will check manually from now on. Its worth it. 😊
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Hi, Darnell. How nice of you to visit, and thank you for your kind words. I’m sorry you haven’t been getting notifications. Others have had the same complaint, but our Happiness Engineers have regrettably not found an explanation; otherwise I would check with them. I post once a week, and I’ve now been trying for Saturdays. I’m so pleased you’ll be coming to visit when you can!
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Yep! I will 😊
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I look forward to seeing you again—virtually!
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A very nice story of the most human kind. We are all here to help each other where and how we can. It is nice when it really happens.
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Thank you, JP. I hope at some point you’ll have time to read about my friend Peter—and my post released today—about our ability to learn how to become more compassionate.
Kind regards to you for a fine 2020.
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