This blog post is part of my series on Random Acts of Kindness. Any unexpected, unprovoked action from strangers or lesser known acquaintances that catch us not only by surprise but reinforce our hope in goodness around us whether we deserve it or not.
It was the summer of 2009. I was returning to the US from India after an unexpectedly long stay (Read more about it here). I was traveling alone with my oldest who was two years old at the time. She had just fallen asleep and I had the first row seat that allows one to fix up a bassinet to the wall! Does anyone remember those? If not, check it out here or see below).
I had somehow managed to get the flight attendant to help get it setup, rocked the baby to sleep and successfully got her into the bassinet without waking her up! (Ninja mom skills were top-notch back then). I even fully buckled her into the thing. I leaned back, took a breath and felt a moment of relief. It was meal time and they started distributing the meal trays. Cautiously optimistic me, decided to finish off lunch while I still had my hands free.
I started eating and the seat belt sign comes on. Turbulence. I continue to eat but realize that the flight attendant is walking towards me. He says ‘Kids can’t stay in bassinets when the seat belt sign is on’. With that, he doesn’t wait for me to put my tray away or my fork down even. He quickly unbuckles the sleeping baby, pulls her out of the bassinet and stashes her in the space between the service tray and me. Unsurprisingly, the baby awakes. Things then quickly go downhill. The baby goes from calmly sleeping to full-on bawling in short order. The meal tray still in front of me and the crying baby now in my arms, I’m desperate but unsure what to do. I am surrounded by strangers and unable to hand off either item to anyone.
I look around with my eyes now slowly tearing up out of sheer frustration. Then, a lady seated with her husband in the right hand side aisle catches my eye. She looks concerned and maybe even a little sorry for me. She stretches out both her arms and asks me if she could hold the baby. I hesitate for just a second. She quickly follows up with ‘Just momentarily until you can figure out the chaos’.
I’ve never met her in my life before until that day on that flight. I am taken aback and grateful all at once for this unexpected, timely offer of help. I quickly handed her my daughter to take care of the meal situation. She nods for me to finish eating. I do so as fast as I can and return the tray to the flight attendant. Finally, I get the baby back from this kind stranger. Soon, baby is calm, has been fed and changed.
This simple act of kindness from a stranger, however small, not only helped me take back control of a situation that seemed to be spiraling out but also gave me proof that good people and random kindness exist out there. In a world where there is so much focus on the negative, evil, ruthless and uncouth, there is still room for the positive, good, gentle and polite. The lady gauged my plight in the few minutes that it took for the scene to evolve, offered help when everyone else seemed oblivious to my situation.
I thanked the lady for our unexpected kindness. To her, it probably seemed like nothing major. To me, it was apt and perfect. It has stuck with me.
Some things I’ve learned from the experience:
– Never underestimate the power of a selfless act.
– No act is negligible.
– Kindness that surprises us is best served up by strangers. From everyone else, its expected wouldn’t you say?
– Timeliness is key. Wait too long and the moment passes.
I would love to hear your thoughts and maybe even your own experiences with this. Comment below!
