I absolutely love kids. I love them even when I hate them. But you know when do I get REALLY annoyed with them? In movie theatres or while travelling. I just want them to shut up, you know? And let everyone live in peace. But those little monsters never listen.
But on the other hand, I can understand the parents’ plight and anxiety when they have to travel with their kids. Keeping them in check, making sure they’re okay and calming them down when they’re panicking – it’s a real battle, I tell you.
Jessica Rudeen, a 34-year-old momĀ from Bentonville, Arkansas, US, recently discovered how painful it is to travel with a toddler and an infant. However, a stranger’s kindness saved her day.
Jessica posted on Facebook about her ordeal travelling alone with a 4-month-old and a 3-year-old.
https://www.facebook.com/jeskarudeen/posts/1507302572713457
She was struggling because her kids were uncontrollable. That is until this kind man stepped in and calmed the kids down. He entertained them, kept them busy and it was a smooth sailing from then on.
Her post quickly went viral and people are applauding the kind man to have helped her out.Ā Her post read:
My first flights with an infant and a toddler started out with a little panic when we boarded the plane. My 4-month-old was screaming his head off because, due to a series of unexpected events, I was unable to nurse him before boarding the plane. My 3-year-old, who was excited before boarding the plane, lost her nerve and began screaming and kicking āI want to get off the plane! I donāt want to go!ā
I honestly thought weād get kicked off the plane.
So with two kids losing their minds, I was desperately trying to calm the situation. This man reached for the baby and held him while I forced a seatbelt on Caroline, got her tablet and started her movie. Once she was settled and relatively calmed, he distracted her so that I could feed Alexander. Finally, while we were taxiing, the back of the plane no longer had screams. During the flight, he coloured and watched a movie with Caroline, he engaged in conversation and showed her all the things outside. By the end of the flight, he was Carolineās best friend. Iām not sure if he caught the kiss she landed on his shoulder while they were looking out the window. Amazingly, we had the same connection in Charlotte to Wilmington, a connection he navigates frequently for work. He helped us get off the plane and led us to the next gate with Caroline in hand. If that wasnāt enough, he changed his seat on the next flight to sit in our row to help us. This guy, Todd, showed me kindness and compassion that Iāve never known from another person. His wife, he said, had a similar experience when their two boys were young and a stranger showed her the same kindness. I am blown away by Godās hand in this because we could have been placed next to anyone, but we were seated next to one of the nicest men I have ever met in my life.
Iād like to find him. His name is Todd. He has a son at the University of Arkansas and he lives in Lenexa, KS.
If you could help share this post so that I can find him, Iād really appreciate your help!
*** Update! Iāve been connected with his wife and hoping we can get together soon!
#lovewhatmattersĀ #americanairlines
The 3-year-old toddler quickly warmed up to him and even spent her time colouring with him. After landing and getting off the flight, she held his hand and walked while Jessica took care of the 4-month-old baby.
People are loving this simple, kind gesture by a stranger for a woman and her two kids that they can’t help but share the joy.
1. This is that good deed.
2. Pretty sure it did.
3. I feel you *Wipes a tear*
4. Such selflessness is rare these days.
5. Preach.
In a world where we hear of so many crimes each day, this incident is like a ray of sunshine, a ray of hope, that kindness still exists.