On a flight back home from the East coast I found myself welling up with tears when the plane pulled up to the gate.
A woman one row in front of me was traveling alone with her baby. I’m guessing he was around 7 months old. He would fall asleep for maybe 30 minutes at a time and then wake up crying for another 15 minutes or so. This pattern continued throughout the 5-hour flight. My heart just melted for her as I watched her settle him back down upon each awakening.
No one nearby seemed the least bit disturbed. In fact, there were only looks of compassion. One person walked over to her to see if she could hold the baby to give mom a break but she politely declined while expressing her gratitude.
As the plane was making its descent the baby was crying non-stop. Perhaps his ears were unable to clear. Mom tried to get him to suck on his bottle, his pacifier, her finger – he simply refused.
Landing With Love
Upon landing he fell asleep almost instantly and she kissed him gently on his forehead. My heart was so filled with awe and love for this amazing mother.
What transpired the moment we pulled up to the gate exposed humanity at its best.
3 people – 2 men and a woman – jumped up from their seats. They were in different rows and didn’t seem to know each other.
The woman leaned in and asked mom something. From there she opened the overhead bin and took out mom’s back pack and placed it on her own back. The two men said, “What else is there to carry?” Within a matter of seconds each had something to take off the plane leaving mom only needing to carry the baby.
No one in the nearby rows left their seats leaving the aisle free for mom to get up and start to exit the plane more easily with the 3 beautiful humans who were helping her. By this time I’m trying to contain myself from sobbing like the baby because of this amazing act of kindness taking place.
In the End
When I got off the plane I saw mom holding her sleeping baby as the 3 people continued to help her get settled with all her stuff. I stopped to watch as my eyes welled up, yet again. Once she was ready to go she hugged each of them. And then the 3 of them hugged each other saying good-bye. It was quite a magnificent gesture of love to witness.
With the excruciating tragedies that are taking place in the world, I find myself doubling down to reach deeper inside for vision beyond my ego’s eyes. For thoughts beyond my ego’s mind. The effort is worth it. The more I tap into vision and thoughts of compassion, kindness and love, the more that shows up in my world as it did on Flight 1529.
May you, too, see more of that in your world.
