I just spent the most wonderful weekend with my sister in Vancouver. The weekend away was a birthday gift from my thoughtful husband. We wandered in the rain enjoying the Vancouver Christmas Market, a European style market, which was so much fun even in the pouring rain. We rode the aqua bus to Granville Island and chatted with artists who created the most delicious creations with pencil and ink, textiles, mammoth tusk, and food…oh the food! In the spirit of Christmas, we walked through the Festival of Trees in the Four Seasons hotel – a fundraiser for BC Children’s Hospital, and Gingerbread Lane in the Hyatt Regency – a fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation.
We laughed, we spent hours in the rain, we took tons of selfies on our own and with the people we met in our travels. We shopped, we people-watched, we ate amazing food and drank some delicious wine. It was a memorable weekend with my little sister who is one of my all-time favourite people to spend time with. But all good things come to an end and too soon we found ourselves at the airport. And this is where the frustration begins.
I’m not kidding when I say I am “randomly selected” for additional security screening every time I fly. Twice now, when given the choice between the manual inspection and the full body scanner, I have chosen the scanner, thinking it would save me time. It never does. Invariable the scanner manufactures a bald-faced lie saying I have hidden metal plates on my body which results in a manual inspection anyway. The only good thing to come of this constant groping is that I care less and less when strangers touch me. Apparently, border security the world over wants to get their hands on me.
Next, my flight is delayed because really, who doesn’t want to spend even more time in the airport? Finally, I board my flight to discover a small barking dog at the feet of the lady across the aisle from me and a young mom with a tiny baby who is already fussing. *inner groan of dismay This does not bode well for a quiet flight.
And it was not. The little dog actually settled quickly, but the baby…oh that poor baby. She cried for the entire flight. Really. The. Entire. Flight. Usually I am like most people and eventually my patience runs thin and my thoughts are less than charitable. So maybe, it was being filled with Christmas cheer from my weekend that I found myself completely, remarkably, un-annyoyed.
After a while, I scooted to the outside seat and turned to start chatting with the mom. I couldn’t do much for the baby, but maybe I could help distract her a bit. So I started asking the usual questions: how old is she? What’s her name?
Turns out, they were on their way home from BC Children’s Hospital for a check-up. Baby Girl was 3 months old but only born at 25 weeks, weighed only 1 pound and was as long as a ruler. Her mom wasn’t even allowed to hold her because her skin was so thin – it hadn’t developed enough layers to handle contact. Because she was tube fed for the majority of her life, Baby Girl refused to breastfeed, which soothes most babies. So in her tiny, newborn cry, because even though she is 3 months old she should only have just been born around now, Baby Girl let the world know that she hates flying.
Mom felt awful. She said she was worried what other people on the plane were thinking. She was sorry the baby was so miserable, she just didn’t know what else to do. She was so very apologetic. I assured her they were all adults and could handle a little baby crying. Besides the plane was noisy, they could probably hardly hear her anyway. I’m not above lying to make someone feel better in a situation like that.
Finally, after what probably felt like an eternity to the Mom, we landed. I wished her luck with Baby Girl and she looked at me with such gratitude and said, “Thank you. It was so good talking with you.”
And I was reminded, again, that everyone has a story to tell. If we will just take the time to engage with someone, show a little compassion, hear their story…it can change your perspective. That little bit of kindness made the difference between grouching in my seat because of a little noise or encouraging a young mom who is (like most of us) struggling to find her way through motherhood and doing the very best she can. It was worth it. Next time you find yourself annoyed with someone, try talking with them. Be an encourager. I guarantee you will almost certainly walk away with a smile on your face.
That was a really great reminder to all of us . Thank you 😄
It was a great reminder for me too Christine!