Human Kindness

Kindness is all around us, and is shown to us at the most unexpected moments. I spent last week in the sunshine state with two of my best friends, Abby and Carol, who moved to Florida earlier this year. I even got to see Carol’s family and reunite with our friend Hannah, who all moved to Florida recently as well. It was such a relaxing vacation that included treasured quality time with my friends!

When I landed, Abby and I went to the grocery store to pick up some treats for the week. As we were approaching the checkout line, a woman pointed out that she loved my hair. I thought I looked disheveled, especially after coming off a plane, but her thoughtful compliment kicked my vacation off on a sweet start.

I soaked up the sunshine the following day and lounged by the pool, taking turns from swimming and cooling off, to tanning and being nose-deep in the book, Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I was a few pages in, and had the pool all to myself when a mother and her daughter showed up. The woman struck up a conversation with me and asked if the book I was reading was any good? Being only a couple pages in, I let her know I had just started, but that my friends recommended it to me. She said her friend recommended it to her as well, knowing Glennon Doyle is an excellent and captivating author. The woman and I could have easily stayed quiet and avoided each other, but her thoughtful gesture to inquire about the book connected us that afternoon.

Fast forward to my final day in Florida, I arrived at the airport and found out my flight was significantly delayed and that the line to drop off my luggage was 2 hours long and out the door. Knowing that the circumstances were out of my control, I hopped in line. Two women in front of me were stunned about the lengthy line as much as I was and we discovered we were all scheduled on the flight to Boston together. We spent those two hours chatting and passing the time. They were both from Vermont, and still had a long drive home once they landed, but were some of the friendliest and sweetest women. They were best friends and it just made me envision my best friend and I taking a girls trip in the future and leave our spouses home to take care of our kids.

I passed through security and arrived at my gate, only to have my gate change three more times that night. Those that were on the same flight as me were from all over as we all got to talk with each other as we embraced the delayed time. I connected with a guy who appeared close to my age from the Dominican Republic, and a woman from Jamaica, as well as multiple families from Guatemala and Puerto Rico.

One guy turned out to be from New Hampshire, just like me. He was telling a handful of us that the airline had been continuously cancelling all flights to Boston and that he has been sleeping on the airport floor for 2 straight days. He said he was running out of money, and a couple of women bought him snacks, drinks, and a meal for the night. An act of kindness goes such a long way.

After hearing over the intercom that so many flights were being cancelled that night, the guy from New Hampshire appeared uneasy thinking of the possibility of sleeping at the airport for a third night. The woman from Jamaica, myself, and the guy from New Hampshire started to pray to God that our flight would not get cancelled. Usually, I would be so stressed thinking of the possibility of having to arrange to stay an extra night and miss work the next day. However, as soon as we prayed, I had this overwhelming sense of peace and calmness flood into me. The flight from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando (in-state travel) got cancelled, but I just knew in my heart that I would be sleeping in my own bed later that night. Low and behold, our flight was one of the last ones of the night to fly out of Florida that night. Prayer is so powerful, and even more strengthened in groups.

Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

When we were nearing our arrival in Boston, the flight attendants realized it was the wee hours of the morning, and that our delayed flight was certainly not ideal. They played a plane-wide trivia game where whoever buzzed in first and hit their flight attendant light on the ceiling with the correct answer, would win a free flight mileage voucher. Many passengers, including myself, forgot about the unfortunate circumstance, and all bonded over the activity. Genuine human interaction and kindness is all around you if you are open to receiving and giving it, even in the midst of chaos.

The picture I took below was on a pillar down a side street in Delray Beach, FL on the last day of my trip. It says: “The biggest question I had as a child was, “How would I leave my mark on the world?”” Reflect on this question and ask yourself: Would you compliment a stranger in a grocery store? Would you strike up a conversation with a stranger by the pool or in a long line at the airport? Would you offer to buy a stranger a meal if you notice they are struggling? The genuine acts of kindness I witnessed over this trip were so heartwarming. I will hold on to these memories forever, and continue to find daily ways to make a stranger’s day better.

Remember to stay humble and kind, always!

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xo –Jess