´Your flight has already left´
This is not something a person wants to hear at the boarding gate as their two year old excitedly babbles about flying and airplanes and Africa. A sentence from a bad dream that you comfort yourself would never happen in real life. And yet, there we stood. Excitedly expecting to board a plane, a plane which was apparently the wrong one. The right one having left an hour prior.
Long story short, we booked months ago and the flights had been changed but the app from the travel agency did not have the update and we were getting all our information from the app.
It was already 19:00, dark outside, we were so so ready to start our holiday.
We had a choice. Try with this flight which would mean that we would have 30 minutes at Frankfurt airport from when our plane lands to when the one to Cape Town takes off. 30 Minutes. If we did not make that, which was very likely, we would have to book a hotel in Frankfurt, loose the money for the flight we missed and buy another flight for the next day.
Or, cancel everything and book the next available flights to South Africa, loose the money from our original bookings and pay for expensive December flights booked last minute. Only one of those choices held a little hope. We went, as we often do, with the risky but hopeful option.
The staff at the boarding gate were so helpful and sympathetic. They did what they could, got us on the flight, told us our luggage probably wouldn´t make it but they would send it to Cape Town after us and they wished us good luck. They could have told us that we should check things better and that they can´t do anything for us. But they were kind, they saw our distress and they did their best to help.
The kindness we experienced did not stop there. The airline staff on the short flight to Frankfurt, where I practiced relaxation breathing techniques so I didn´t flood my unborn child with cortisol as we waited to get out and run for a flight we might not catch, were sympathetic and kind. The Pilot who, on seeing me stressfully waiting, offered to go check where our pram was. The man at the front of the queue at passport control who saw us round the corner, my husband carrying my son while running because we had to leave the pram and the huffing pregnant person trying to keep up. With an understanding smile, he told us to go in front of him because we looked like we need to, we did not even have to ask and we were at the front of the line.
We made the flight, ridiculously grateful to be on that airplane. We could handle a night of almost no sleep and our child vomiting over everything about an hour after we had finally gotten him to fall asleep, with a buoyant positivity. Perspective, right?
The experience also made me wonder at all the people who played a role. The people who made a difference with their actions and their words. People who, for that moment, were not focused on themselves. They saw us, heard us, helped us. In a moment where we were so caught up in our situation there were people who were not caught up in theirs.
It made me want to be like that more often. Eyes and heart open. Ready to listen, to notice. Willing to give kindness or some time or use my skill set or offer my place in a queue. Small things, possibly pivotal things. They made a huge difference to us.
I hope you know the power your words and actions wield. I hope you take the time to notice those around you when you can. I hope you are carried by the kindness of others when you are in the midst of chaos. Happy 2023!
Love this story!