When my little girl was a toddler, we decided to take a family vacation to Corpus Christi, Texas. Instead of making the 10-hour drive, the plan was for my husband to drive down with all of our gear while my daughter and I flew, meeting him there at the airport. It was my little girl’s first time on an airplane and my first air travel trip as a mom with a toddler. I was nervous because my daughter was (and still is) a highly sensitive individual who is bothered by any shifts in air pressure, discomfort of any sort, and pretty much anything else that is out of the ordinary. She also had a hard time sitting still, which is why I wanted to make her journey as short as possible.
I had traveled extensively as a single woman, and I had vivid memories of stressed-out and overwhelmed parents traveling with young children. More than anything, I always felt bad for the parents. It was easy to see that in most cases, they were trying hard to keep their children comfortable while also being cognizant of the other travelers. So I was worried about my daughter’s comfort, but also I was concerned about her disturbing people around her. What I discovered is that most people are understanding and even willing to help. And that’s exactly what happened when one young mother was traveling with her small child recently.
Amarpreet25, Pixabay
In a story that has gone viral on social media, a fellow traveler shares that she recently witnessed something beautiful when she saw a young pregnant mother struggling with an unhappy toddler in an airport. The young woman was clearly stressed and beginning to feel overwhelmed, so much so that she eventually just sat down and started crying in the middle of the airport. However, she didn’t account for all of the helpful moms around her. Beth Bornstein Dunnington described the incident in a Facebook post. She said that while she was at LAX, she was at a gate watching the young mother struggle. The toddler she was struggling with was about 18 months old.
Nicolette Attree, Pexels
Beth says that the little one was having a total meltdown, running between the seats, and even lying on the ground kicking and screaming. At one point, it became apparent that his mother wasn’t going to be able to get him to board the plane. Before the mom even realized what was happening, she was surrounded by a group of six or seven women, none of who were known to each other. They completely took charge of the situation, surrounding the mother and her little boy. They knelt down to form a circle around them, and Beth starting singing a song to him. Another woman peeled the little boy an orange, while still another used a bottle of water to fill his sippy cup. One woman reached into her bag and brought out a toy for him.
https://www.facebook.com/bethbornsteindunnington/posts/10156091003118188
The little boy and his mom were able to board the plane. Beth describes this incident as one of the most beautiful things she’s ever seen, and she said that she firmly believes that “a circle of women, with a mission, can save the world.” I can’t argue with that.
Featured image: SoapWitch, Pixabay
