How a Child's Friendliness and a Stranger's Kindness Spread the Fragrance of Love
Who said airport terminals are hostile to social bonding?
We live in one of humanity's darkest moments.
Suffering and disruption have been the pandemic's defining characteristics.
The media's fetish for doom and gloom amplifies the misery of battered societies. It's easy to lose faith in humanity's ability to retain its core values of love, kindness, and compassion in such a dismal time. We stop looking for love and kindness around us.
Let's remember we saw incredible acts of nobility and sacrifice even in Nazi concentration camps.
Please read this story of a deep friendship between two strangers that unfolded in an airport waiting area. It was a perfect example of how the Universe unleashed serendipity to demonstrate humanity's ability to transcend racial and generational differences.
How a little girl and a stranger bonded closely and sent out a message to society
Las Vegas airport terminal is not the place you will associate with social bonding.
Kevin, writer and speaker, waited with his toddler daughter Carter Jean at the terminal. The little girl was curious and friendly by nature.
Carter roamed about the terminal greeting strangers with a friendly 'Hi'. Her innocence and amiability caught the attention of waiting passengers.
The girl noticed a tall African American named Joseph Pat Wright and reached out to him. Joseph was on his way home to Oklahoma after a gruelling business tour.
Joseph was tired but greeted Carter as if they were old friends. He reached out to the girl and asked her to sit with him. He pulled out his tablet and showed her how to draw with it. They watched cartoons together. Carter offered Joseph snacks that her father had bought for her.
The sight of the little girl chatting with Joseph attracted the attention of the waiting passengers.
It seemed as if the toddler and the African American enacted the drama scripted by the Universe to teach a lesson to others.
Kevin wrote on his Facebook page:
“This wasn’t a short little exchange, this was 45 minutes. Watching them in the moment, I couldn’t help but think, different genders, different races, different generations, and the best of friends. This is the world I want for her.
Kevin wanted to thank Joseph and spread the latter's message of unqualified love and friendliness to the broader world. He wrote another Facebook post:
“In a country that is continuously fed that it’s so deeply divided by beliefs, I want her life to be filled with moments like this…..not liberal or conservative republican or democrat, socialist or capitalist, just HUMAN. Joseph in Oklahoma, if this should happen to find you. Thank you for showing my daughter what kindness and compassion look like. Continue to shine your light in the world.”
Kevin's post went viral, and many shared their memories of spending a happy time with Joseph. One writer said, "As a friend and former colleague of Joseph's, I can tell you he is indeed a great man, and he is awesome with kids of all ages."
Final thoughts
It's amazing how the Universe synchronizes accidental encounters rich in symbolic meaning for society. A massive wall of differences separated Carter and Joseph, but they demolished the wall effortlessly and behaved as if they were lifetime friends and companions.
Love and compassion are formidable enough to transcend artificial barriers erected by society to keep people apart.
Thanks for reading this story.
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