KOPYA NG SALIN 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:02.629
The flight I will never forget.
00:00:02.629 --> 00:00:06.309
I was every passenger's nightmare.
00:00:06.309 --> 00:00:32.067
A few days ago I was standing in line at the pharmacy just kind of watching life swirl around me, and there was this mother in line, a couple of people in front of me, who was clearly overwhelmed and she had a squirmy little toddler in one arm and she was trying to balance a diaper bag on the other shoulder and trying to get to her wallet and pay for her prescription.
00:00:32.067 --> 00:00:44.310
And I know so many moms can relate to this especially and I'm sure dads can as well and then her little girl began to really fuss and her patience was slipping.
00:00:44.310 --> 00:00:53.350
She was unraveling, she was trying to pay for her prescription and she just really I could just feel she was having a really rough day.
00:00:53.350 --> 00:01:03.950
And then a stranger behind her gently said you're doing a good job, mama, is there anything I can help you with?
00:01:03.950 --> 00:01:08.876
And I just thought, oh my gosh, he just saved the day.
00:01:08.876 --> 00:01:21.326
And she paused, she looked at him and I think she got a little emotional and blinked and then she gave this very small grateful nod that she was okay.
00:01:21.326 --> 00:01:33.626
But just knowing someone cared and acknowledged that she was doing a good job I'm certain made all the difference for her in the whole world.
00:01:33.626 --> 00:01:35.490
And you know why?
00:01:35.490 --> 00:01:39.784
Because she felt seen, that's all it took.
00:01:39.784 --> 00:01:43.790
It just took a moment of kindness in the chaos.
00:01:43.790 --> 00:01:47.275
It just took a moment of kindness in the chaos and I got to watch it unfold.
00:01:47.275 --> 00:01:59.625
But what was so wild was how it instantly transported me to a very vivid memory of my own.
00:01:59.644 --> 00:02:03.412
Hello and welcome to the Q&A File, the ultimate health and wellness playground.
00:02:03.412 --> 00:02:11.538
I'm your host, tricia Jamieson, a board-certified functional nutritionist and lifestyle practitioner, ready to lead you through a world of health discoveries.
00:02:11.538 --> 00:02:20.610
Here we dive into a tapestry of disease prevention, to nutrition, exercise, mental health and building strong relationships, all spiced with diverse perspectives.
00:02:20.610 --> 00:02:25.788
It's not just a podcast, it's a celebration of health, packed with insights and a twist of fun.
00:02:25.788 --> 00:02:31.842
Welcome aboard the Q&A files, where your questions ignite our vibrant discussions and lead to a brighter you.
00:02:31.842 --> 00:02:53.109
Today's episode is all about the kindness that interrupts the room, the kind that doesn't wait for an invitation, the kind that shows up in someone's hardest moments, the kind that says I see you and guess what?
00:02:53.109 --> 00:02:56.711
You're not alone, so let me take you back.
00:02:57.491 --> 00:03:05.978
It was in 1991, and I was boarding a flight back to Spokane from Des Moines, iowa, with our two little girls.
00:03:05.978 --> 00:03:14.231
Now, des Moines is where Jeff was attending medical school and he was in the thick of preparing for his medical board exams.
00:03:14.231 --> 00:03:21.834
So I was taking the girls home for a month to give him some space and peace, some quiet to study.
00:03:21.834 --> 00:03:31.034
And we had our two girls, like I mentioned, chelsea, our oldest, was two and a half, and Alyssa, her baby sister, was just six months old.
00:03:31.034 --> 00:03:39.286
Now, jeff had walked me all the way through the terminal to our gate and at that time you were able to do that.
00:03:39.286 --> 00:03:42.568
You could walk your loved ones to the gate, walk your loved ones to the gate.
00:03:42.568 --> 00:03:59.201
He gave me a hug, goodbye, and each of the girls a sweet kiss before leaving me and did I feel instantly alone and immediately thought what in the world am I doing?
00:03:59.222 --> 00:04:29.043
As I watched him walk away, I had Chelsea, our oldest daughter, buckled into her car seat, which was perched precariously on top of a lightweight umbrella stroller.
00:04:29.043 --> 00:04:31.550
And yes, she was actually buckled into it, because back then children had to fly in their car seats, if you can believe that.
00:04:31.550 --> 00:04:34.637
And I was physically holding down her car seat with my right hand to keep it from flipping forward and launching her face first into the ground.
00:04:34.637 --> 00:04:56.733
So over that same shoulder was a diaper bag packed so full it could have passed for a mini moving van, strapped to me and in my other arm I held Alyssa, wiggly and tired, and slowly sliding down my hip like a sack of potatoes with each step, and let me tell you, I absolutely felt like a walking circus act.
00:04:56.733 --> 00:05:17.382
So about after 10 minutes of waiting to board, which really felt like hours waiting to board which really felt like hours, every inch of me was absolutely screaming for relief my back, my arms, even the tips of my fingers, from gripping the car seat so hard, you know, because my life depended on it, which it clearly did.
00:05:18.925 --> 00:05:25.752
Then, every few seconds, I tried to do a quick mom bounce to adjust Alyssa back into place.
00:05:25.752 --> 00:05:41.846
Well, a kind older gentleman behind me obviously had been watching me and he gently came to me and said Would you like me to carry her next to you or behind you Until you get to your seat?
00:05:41.846 --> 00:05:44.793
I'm on your same flight Now.
00:05:44.793 --> 00:05:53.935
Obviously, under any other circumstance I would never, ever, hand my little baby girl over to a complete stranger.
00:05:53.935 --> 00:06:07.281
But I had some extreme circumstances and there was something steady and kind about him and I knew he was never going to be out of my sight, and so I was desperate and I said, yes, please.
Load full transcript
00:06:07.281 --> 00:06:21.252
So he reached out for Alyssa and thankfully she went right to him without a single whimper and it was just like she settled into his arms, like he was a long lost grandpa.
00:06:21.252 --> 00:06:27.184
So I excelled for the very first time in what really felt like hours.
00:06:28.125 --> 00:06:36.411
A few minutes later we began boarding and I was so relieved that they let families with young children aboard first.
00:06:36.411 --> 00:06:41.175
In fact, I think I was the very first passenger to even step onto the plane.
00:06:41.175 --> 00:06:49.509
So I'm sure there were hundreds there had to have been hundreds of people lined up behind me, and I'm sure that was not an exaggeration.
00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:51.961
But you know, it definitely felt like hundreds of people.
00:06:51.961 --> 00:07:02.711
And I began inching my way down the narrow aisle, trying to steer the stroller while still holding the car seat down with one hand.
00:07:02.711 --> 00:07:08.466
Now my fingers were aching so badly I could hardly even feel them.
00:07:08.466 --> 00:07:20.649
It was awkward, it was clunky, but I just kept breathing because I knew with each step I was getting closer and closer to my seat.
00:07:20.649 --> 00:07:31.047
And then it happened my diaper bag swung off my shoulder and the stroller wheels caught on the carpeted floor.
00:07:31.047 --> 00:07:32.370
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
00:07:32.370 --> 00:07:36.305
Should we just pause for a few minutes to just take a quick bathroom break?
00:07:36.305 --> 00:07:43.269
Because even now, 30 years later, this part still absolutely stresses me out.
00:07:43.269 --> 00:07:49.088
Okay, so let's just take a deep breath together and let me continue.
00:07:49.088 --> 00:07:53.076
I hope you can imagine all of this Again.
00:07:53.076 --> 00:08:07.369
We're starting with the strap of my diaper bag snagged on the corner of an armrest, jerking me sideways and yanking my hand off of the car seat with great force.
00:08:08.617 --> 00:08:29.470
Ah so in one horrifying, painfully slow moment it was like watching a terrible movie in slow motion Chelsea flipped forward, still strapped in her car seat, and landed face first onto the hard floor of the plane with a very loud thud.
00:08:29.470 --> 00:08:32.702
She shrieked in pain.
00:08:32.702 --> 00:08:39.506
Everything stopped my heart, my breath, the line behind me.
00:08:39.506 --> 00:08:41.602
I absolutely froze.
00:08:41.602 --> 00:08:46.039
Now, this wasn't a sweet little toddler whimper?
00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:48.222
No, wasn't a sweet little toddler whimper?
00:08:48.222 --> 00:08:52.570
No, chelsea, what we lovingly called a full-body siren cry.
00:08:52.570 --> 00:09:05.217
When she was hurt which she clearly was she wailed at a pitch that could probably shatter glass.
00:09:05.217 --> 00:09:21.289
But there she was, lying face down in the airplane aisle, her body still buckled into the car seat, her cries echoing through the fuselage, and I was only a few rows in, but it felt like I was miles away.
00:09:22.250 --> 00:09:24.413
People behind me were stacking up.
00:09:24.413 --> 00:09:36.024
I could feel their impatience, I could feel the pressure building, but all I could see was my baby girl on the floor screaming hysterically.
00:09:36.024 --> 00:09:44.413
The aisle was too narrow, there was no way to turn around the stroller and there was no space to backtrack.
00:09:44.413 --> 00:09:57.957
I had all these people behind me waiting, and then the kind man holding Alyssa behind me was still standing there, waiting, unsure how to help, with my infant daughter squirming in his arms.
00:09:57.957 --> 00:10:05.539
I didn't know what to do, but I did the only thing I could think of, and that was to climb over the seats.
00:10:05.539 --> 00:10:11.309
No grace, no elegance, just full-on desperate mama mode.
00:10:12.397 --> 00:10:22.807
I scrambled my way to her, I unbuckled the straps with my hands shaking, and I pulled her into my lap in the middle of the aisle, with everybody watching.
00:10:22.807 --> 00:10:35.446
She was wailing, red-faced, hurt, frightened, and I was absolutely mortified and I felt like the worst mom on the planet.
00:10:35.446 --> 00:10:39.725
Have you ever had those terrible feelings before?
00:10:39.725 --> 00:11:01.697
It was one of those moments you don't forget, not because it was dramatic, but because your body remembers exactly what it felt like to be trapped, to feel helpless and completely feel undone in public, somehow, somehow.
00:11:01.697 --> 00:11:02.437
I don't even know how.
00:11:02.437 --> 00:11:33.519
I truly don't know how I managed to get everything the rest of the way down the aisle the stroller, the car seat, the diaper bag, my screaming toddler, all of the emotional damage, all of it and I collapsed into my seat, now, holding one hysterical child, and the very nice man who had been holding Alyssa quickly handed her off to me so he could then find his own seat.
00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.148
And of course, she started to fuss because, guess what?
00:11:37.148 --> 00:11:40.538
She was hungry and she was ready to nurse.
00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:43.802
And that's when the judging started.
00:11:43.802 --> 00:11:46.806
I could feel it permeate through me.
00:11:46.806 --> 00:11:53.298
I could feel the deep glares, the whispers, the silent protests.
00:11:53.298 --> 00:11:58.855
I was trying to hold it all together, but all I was doing is starting to unravel.
00:11:58.855 --> 00:12:02.001
And let me tell you, I was unraveling quickly.
00:12:02.001 --> 00:12:12.061
And then came the cherry on top A stewardess walked by and barked you need to get her back into her car seat right now.
00:12:12.061 --> 00:12:16.044
Oh, great idea, I wanted to say.
00:12:16.044 --> 00:12:20.590
Let me just add that to my to-do list, while I try not to cry in public.
00:12:20.590 --> 00:12:21.812
Thank you very much.
00:12:33.875 --> 00:12:35.980
So
Chelsea, meanwhile, was curled up on the floor like a tiny protester staging a sit-in.
00:12:35.980 --> 00:12:39.149
She was no way going to get back into that car seat, and Alyssa was getting louder by the minute.
00:12:39.149 --> 00:12:44.120
My arms were shaking and I could feel the tears starting to rise.
00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:55.005
And then there's this teenage boy sitting right next to me who looked like he was silently questioning every life choice that had brought him to this moment.
00:12:55.005 --> 00:12:56.187
And you know what?
00:12:56.187 --> 00:13:01.264
I'm pretty sure becoming a monk had just moved to the top of his list.
00:13:02.326 --> 00:13:04.090
Oh, I tried everything.
00:13:04.090 --> 00:13:12.206
I tried snacks, I tried stuffed animals, full-on negotiations, but nothing worked to get Chelsea back into her seat.
00:13:12.206 --> 00:13:18.557
And then I felt the hot tears starting to spill down my cheeks.
00:13:18.557 --> 00:13:20.440
I felt the shame.
00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:24.423
I felt the weight of all of it pressing in on me.
00:13:24.423 --> 00:13:30.149
I was doing everything I could, but somehow it still wasn't enough.
00:13:30.149 --> 00:13:34.236
So I did what so many of us do.
00:13:34.236 --> 00:13:50.844
In those hidden but very humbling moments, I whispered a very quiet prayer for strength and maybe, just maybe, if God was in a really good mood, he would even grant me a miracle.
00:13:50.844 --> 00:13:54.068
Well, guess what?
00:13:54.068 --> 00:14:00.879
He was in a great mood because after my prayer he did send a miracle.
00:14:01.825 --> 00:14:16.514
A man sitting directly in front of me, someone I hadn't even noticed, stood up and said in a very loud, clear voice what is wrong with you people?
00:14:16.514 --> 00:14:21.145
Loud, clear voice.
00:14:21.145 --> 00:14:21.986
What is wrong with you people.
00:14:21.986 --> 00:14:25.714
This mother is clearly doing her very best and all you can do is sit here whispering and glaring at her.
00:14:25.714 --> 00:14:29.779
She needs help, not your judgment.
00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:32.748
You should all be ashamed of yourselves.
00:14:32.748 --> 00:14:35.172
Well, I tell you what.
00:14:36.293 --> 00:14:49.405
He absolutely had the attention of the entire back section of the airplane because everyone went silent and every head immediately turned and looked forward.
00:14:49.405 --> 00:14:59.740
He turned to me and said in a very gentle voice Would you like me to hold your baby so you can help your little girl get back into her seat?
00:14:59.740 --> 00:15:02.253
I was absolutely stunned.
00:15:02.253 --> 00:15:17.153
In fact, no voice came out, I just nodded, and he gently reached for Alyssa and put her into his arms and said Loud enough for everyone around us to hear I am so sorry.
00:15:17.153 --> 00:15:39.816
You have to experience people who can't see when a young mother needs help and that's when I saw it he was seated next to a quadriplegic, someone he was clearly already caring for, he was already supporting someone else, and yet he saw me too.
00:15:39.816 --> 00:15:47.653
He made space for a young mother me who was quite literally at the end of her rope.
00:15:47.653 --> 00:15:58.775
You know, I don't know his name, I don't remember his name, I don't even remember his face, but I will never forget his voice.
00:15:58.775 --> 00:16:11.696
I will never forget his courage and his kindness and the way he stood up for me Not just for me, but what was right.
00:16:11.696 --> 00:16:28.530
And I swear, if it hadn't been for him, I still might be sitting on that plane with two screaming children and a traumatized teenager who, in that moment, I am certain, decided to become a monk.
00:16:29.664 --> 00:16:52.515
You know, I have thought about that flight so many times over the years, not because of how hard it was though it was absolutely so hard and it left some very traumatizing emotions within me but because of the way those two men shifted the entire energy of that day.
00:16:52.515 --> 00:17:01.405
They didn't take away the challenge, they didn't fix the flight or make the chaos disappear.
00:17:01.405 --> 00:17:06.836
They simply stepped in with kindness to help.
00:17:06.836 --> 00:17:08.881
And you know what?
00:17:08.881 --> 00:17:11.405
That changed everything for me.
00:17:11.405 --> 00:17:20.119
And because of him, because of both of those kind men, I can just survive that flight.
00:17:21.425 --> 00:17:34.101
I remembered what it felt like to be seen, to be rescued and to be reminded that kindness absolutely still lives in this world.
00:17:34.101 --> 00:17:40.074
And that wasn't just kindness, that was courage.
00:17:40.074 --> 00:18:02.173
You know, he didn't just see my struggle, he interrupted, he changed the energy of that moment and he didn't wait for someone else to speak up or to step in, because here's the truth If we all wait for someone else to help, guess what?
00:18:02.173 --> 00:18:03.894
We become the crowd.
00:18:03.894 --> 00:18:05.855
And you know what?
00:18:05.855 --> 00:18:09.135
The crowd never saves the day.
00:18:09.135 --> 00:18:25.263
It's always the one, the one who sees, the one who stops, the one who listens, the one who chooses compassion over convenience.
00:18:25.263 --> 00:18:32.488
That's the kind of kindness I want to invite us into today.
00:18:33.388 --> 00:18:45.595
You know, we talk a lot about strength, pushing through our emotions, staying resilient, but sometimes the greatest strength is in the hand that reaches out.
00:18:45.595 --> 00:18:52.118
It's the voice that speaks up, the heart that says guess what?
00:18:52.118 --> 00:18:53.819
You're not alone.
00:18:53.819 --> 00:18:56.820
You don't need to fix someone's life.
00:18:56.820 --> 00:19:00.843
Maybe just soften one moment.
00:19:00.843 --> 00:19:07.115
Kindness doesn't have to be loud to be powerful, it just has to be real.
00:19:07.115 --> 00:19:14.474
And years from now, someone might still be telling a story about the day you showed up.
00:19:15.656 --> 00:19:22.733
So before we wrap up today, I want to leave you with a simple challenge and a question to carry into your week.
00:19:22.733 --> 00:19:27.205
Who around you might be carrying more than they're showing?
00:19:27.205 --> 00:19:37.059
Is it the mom in your neighborhood, the teenager behind the counter, the friend who always says, oh, I'm fine, but maybe she's really not?
00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:39.951
Be that shift.
00:19:39.951 --> 00:19:47.739
Find that one moment, big or small, to bring unexpected kindness.
00:19:47.739 --> 00:20:07.433
Say the thing Offer the help, interrupt that tension with tenderness and watch how you feel afterward, because kindness doesn't just heal others, it heals you too.
00:20:07.433 --> 00:20:24.873
So again, whether you're on a crowded plane, in a pharmacy line or just walking past someone who looks a little worn out, be that shift, be the grace, be the one who stands up.
00:20:24.873 --> 00:20:30.554
We don't need more people watching, we need more people willing to stand.
00:20:30.554 --> 00:20:33.997
I'm so grateful you joined me today.
00:20:33.997 --> 00:20:46.654
If this story moved you and I hope it did I hope you will send it to a friend, I hope you will post about it or leave us a review and, more importantly, I hope you will live it.
00:20:46.654 --> 00:20:57.712
But keep showing up and keep loving people and keep letting your kindness move the atmosphere, and I will see you on the next Q&A Files.
00:20:57.712 --> 00:20:59.057
Goodbye everybody.
00:21:00.405 --> 00:21:04.814
Thanks for tuning in to the Q&A Files, delighted to share today's gems of wisdom with you.
00:21:04.814 --> 00:21:10.490
Your questions light up our show, fueling the engaging dialogues that make our community extra special.
00:21:10.490 --> 00:21:14.154
Keep sending your questions to trishajamesoncoaching at gmailcom.
00:21:14.154 --> 00:21:16.836
Your curiosity is our compass.
00:21:16.836 --> 00:21:22.037
Please hit subscribe, spread the word and let's grow the circle of insight and community together.
00:21:22.037 --> 00:21:24.153
I'm Trisha Jameson, signing off.
00:21:24.153 --> 00:21:28.913
Stay curious, keep thriving and keep smiling, and I'll catch you on the next episode.