United Moments

Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. –

Ryunosuke Satoro

Pic: WordPress Library

I was speaking with my neighbour yesterday, who was sharing a story about her flight last week with her nine month old baby and her three year old daughter.

She said when they announced the boarding call, her baby started crying hysterically and when she approached the attendant for some help with her bags and her three year old, he said no, we cannot offer this to you today, and of course, she felt totally unsupported.

However, I know this story below has been shared many times on WordPress and Facebook, but it is a beautiful reminder to find simple ways in life, wherever we are, to connect and support one another.

It makes all the difference.

‘Something extraordinary at LAX today… (writing this on the plane). I was at the gate, waiting to get on my plane to Portland. Flights to two different cities were boarding on either side of the Portland fight. A toddler who looked to be eighteen or so months old was having a total meltdown, running between the seats, kicking and screaming, then lying on the ground, refusing to board the plane (which was not going to Portland).

This young mom, who was clearly pregnant and traveling alone with her son, became completely overwhelmed… she couldn’t pick him up because he was so upset, he kept running away from her, then lying down on the ground, kicking and screaming again.

The mother finally sat down on the floor and put her head in her hands, with her child next to her still having a meltdown, and she started crying.

Then, this gorgeous thing (I’m crying just writing this)… the women in the terminal, there must have been six or seven of us, not women who knew each other, approached and surrounded her and the little boy and we knelt down and formed a circle around them.

I sang ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ to the little boy… one woman had an orange that she peeled, one woman had a little toy in her bag that she let the toddler play with, another woman gave the mom a bottle of water. Someone else helped the mom get the kid’s sippy cup out of her bag and give it to him.

It was so gorgeous, there was no discussion and no one knew anyone else, but we were able to calm them both down, and she got her child on the plane. Only women approached.

After they went through the door we all went back to our separate seats and didn’t talk about it… we were strangers, gathering to solve something. It occurred to me that a circle of women, with a mission, can save the world. I will never forget that moment.’

Beth Bornstein Dunnington