I’ve been a flight attendant for years, but one flight stayed with me. I noticed a frightened little boy, about five, sitting with a woman. His hands were shaking, and then he made the silent sign for “HELP.”
I knelt beside him and gently asked if he was okay. He whispered, “I lost my mom.” The woman next to him, his aunt, tearfully explained his mom had died of cancer weeks before. He was scared and confused, still expecting her.
I pointed to the clouds and told him, “When you see a cloud, that’s your mom waving at you. You can wave back.” His face brightened. He spent the rest of the flight smiling and waving, whispering “Hi, Mom.” When we landed, he hugged me and thanked me.
That moment reminded me why kindness matters — even small gestures can lift a heart above the clouds.