Guest Post By
David Woods Bartley
During the second leg of a recent trip on American Airlines from Sacramento to
Hartford, I witnessed an amazing display of willful and blatant connection the likes of
which I have seldom seen.
Towards the end of the flight, I watched the graceful movements of one of the flight
attendants. Judithann, a lovely 60-something woman with a radiant smile, bright eyes
that literally sparkled, crisp uniform, and a posture that would make an Army officer
proud, systematically went from row to row acknowledging and thanking every
passenger for flying with her and her crewmates.
And to be clear, these precious verbal touches were not of the drive-through variety.
Not by a long shot. Instead, each interaction was fresh and purposeful, intended to
pause time for a moment so that each person felt as if they were the only passenger
on the plane.
From my seat towards the rear, I settled back to witness the individual reactions to the
joy Judithann, by way of but a few caring words spoken, poured over their person.
As there was no warning of the impending grace, it was apparent those in the front of
the plane were taken aback by this unexpected gift. It took each person a moment to
recognize this old fashioned, pull up a chair on the front porch type of gesture. But,
for those of us in the back, having the advantage of seeing what was coming, we
began acting like small puppies eager for the same treat our litter mate just got.
As I waited for my moment in the sun, I found myself straining to come up with
some way to return what was about to be gifted to me. But when Judithann finally
came to a stop in front of me, I was rendered mute, and all I could do was delight in
her offering and smile in return. And, as she walked away, the connection Judithann
created lingered on me like a cool mist on a hot August afternoon.
This extraordinary airborne experience is yet another in a growing number of
connection stories I am packing into the satchel of my mind. Each is a tale of how the
simplest of acts influence and even change our lives; how smiles heal hurts, how
words transform fears, and how acts of grace pull us into the warm space of
belonging when we are feeling the icy chill of life to the core of our being.
Dr. Drew Ramsey is an esteemed psychiatrist, and I ran across a quote from the good
doctor that speaks of both the problem we now face regarding the epidemic of suicide
and the solution we each hold in our hands:
“Someone you see today is thinking about killing themselves. Your smile, your question, your love
could save them. Trust me. They told me it did.”
All that has me wondering; just how many lives did Judithann save today?