Jonathan Jordan shares a heartfelt exchange between himself and an airport employee after he lost a loved one.
A few weeks ago, I found myself traveling in New York to attend a family funeral. It had been a rough day. I’m not a great traveler anymore. Packing, crowds and uncertainty stress me out.
I found myself sitting in a busy food court feeling sad, disconnected and lonely. I was also annoyed by everyone around me staring zombie-like into their phones. Then I heard the nicest voice a few tables away. An airport employee was wiping down tables, taking trays and asking people, “Baby, do you need a seat?”
She was practically dancing with joy helping people find a place to eat in a busy crowd and keeping the food court tidy. I closed my eyes and listened to her for a few minutes and wanted so badly to tell her how she made me feel better. But as polished as I can be at work, I’m kind of awkward in “real life.”
I decided to walk past her on my way to my gate and let the universe decide what would happen next. As I approached her, I managed to say “I just wanted you to know you’re the nicest person. I’ve been listening to you and you are really kind and it’s helping me. I’m not having the best day today.” She touched my arm and asked if I needed a hug. I told her that’d be nice.