On the 26th of Shevat – 26 being the number that represents Hashem’s name of compassion – I arrived intact at Newark International Airport. But my baby stroller did not. The handles were broken off, which made it impossible to push my one-year-old in it.
When I started making a baggage claim about the broken stroller, the airline staff in Newark advised me to wait until I arrived in Sarasota to submit it. That was fine with me since I was already running very late. Indeed, I was running so late that in my rush to make my connecting flight to Florida, the broken stroller did not get tagged properly and, as a result, did not arrive in Sarasota with me at all!
Traveling overseas with a one-year-old is no easy feat. I was exhausted, and the thought of being without a stroller, even a broken one, for a week in Florida and then another week in New York was a bit overwhelming. And yet, when I arrived in Sarasota, the Continental office employees there said they no longer accept claims for broken strollers and that I was misinformed in Newark, where I should have made the claim. Plus, they said, the stroller was damaged on a flight with a different airline, so what point was there in submitting a damage claim with them?
Seeing my distress, a very kind employee named Lori (whose last name I regretfully forgot to ask about) very compassionately offered me the use of a stroller she just “happened to have” in the back room of their office.
Wow! This considerate kindness from Lori really helped me. I was… well, stunned that a stroller was just unexpectedly “appearing” like this out of nowhere. Not only did she solve my dilemma by finding me a stroller to use; she also sensitively listened to my plight, giving me both her sympathetic ear and her warm, encouraging smile. Instead of distress, I was now overwhelmed with gratitude.
The stroller was well-padded and strong with cute bunny designs on it, and I gratefully buckled in my son. The week visiting relatives was, of course, greatly enhanced by my ability to move around with a toddler. I couldn’t have managed without it.
When I arrived back at the Sarasota airport a week later for my flight to Newark, of course I brought back the borrowed stroller, expecting to exchange it for my broken one, which had eventually arrived. But the broken one wasn’t going to help me move around with a one-year-old, so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the exchange.
I was, however, very much looking forward to seeing Lori again, hoping that the same sweet employee would be at the counter so I could thank her again for her tremendous help. And there she was! As soon as I saw her, I thanked her profusely. She smiled warmly in return. Her kindness melted me, and I suppose it was desperation that gave me the courage to ask the same sweet Lori if there was any way, if Continental did not need it back yet, that I could continue to borrow the stroller for another week, when I would be in New York visiting my family.
Lori just smiled again and said, “Let me go ask my supervisor.”
Five minutes later, she returned and told me, “You can keep it!”
Keep it!? I was hoping to borrow it, and she said I could keep it? I could hardly believe this extraordinary kindness. I was so overjoyed at the news that I continued to thank Lori profusely. I didn’t think to ask her for the name of her supervisor, or I would also be including my appreciation tohim or her in this story.
It was not the airline’s responsibility to replace or reimburse me for my damaged stroller that was inadvertently broken on a different airline. But its employees saved me a time-consuming hassle and I was very grateful.
It may seem like a small thing, but when someone goes beyond the call of duty, truly helping someone like me in a predicament, it encourages and inspires all of us to want to do the same!
About a month after I returned to Israel, I finally sat down to write the airline an “official” thank-you letter. Because, well, getting “official” complaint letters probably happens quite frequently, so I thought to make it a priority to take the time to send an appreciation letter.
After putting all the details of this story into my letter, I concluded by saying that I had also met wonderful people sitting next to me on the flight, that I very much enjoyed flying with Continental, and I would certainly recommend that other people use it as well.
But my real gain from this experience was when I received a letter from the supervisor at Continental thanking me for the thank-you note! Since this story, I can’t say I always take the time to write thank-you letters, but I definitely try!
Whether we are thanking Hashem directly for taking care of so many little details in our daily lives, or we are thanking His shelichim, the people “assigned” the task of helping us, the impact on our inner selves is multiplied tremendously with each and every moment that we notice and recognize the “big” and “little” ways Hashem helps us, with every thank-you that we send into the world!
Modim anuchnu lach… for Your miracles that are with us every day!