In December 2014, Danaus Chang was on a business trip to Miami and, due to lack of sleep, was irritated.
Moreover, he felt that his flight would not really be “smooth” when he noticed that a cute little boy would be sitting right next to him.
Danaus Chang said he was on a business trip to Miami, sleep-deprived and grumpy, and he was in no rush to leave.
He said his mood was not improved by the thought of sitting near a child. “I really wasn’t looking forward to sitting next to a crying baby from usually loud commuters,” he wrote in an email to TODAY.com. “I felt like the stereotypical, unpopular businessman.”
But Chang’s mood improved when the boy’s parents started distributing care packages to those around them.
The note included in the package began: “Hello stranger! My name is Madeleine. I will be the first on December 17th and this is my first flight. advance if I lose my temper, pass out or lose my ear.”
The vibe changed with mint as a starter, roulos, earplugs and the sweet note “of” Madeleine, Chang said.
“It was like a scene from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” Chang wrote. “I was just sitting there smiling. I looked around and saw at least eight other smiling faces as well.”
Chang posted the photo on Reddit before takeoff with the caption, “A kid just gave me this on my flight. I’m not mad.” By the time the plane landed, the photo had attracted so many commenters that the post made the front page of Reddit.
Before leaving the plane, Chang said he approached the couple to tell them how much he appreciated the gesture, and his photo of the package on Reddit drew many comments.
“They looked pleasantly surprised and quickly turned their attention to their child and said goodbye,” he wrote. “By the way, Madeleine was great.”
An act of kindness showed these parents that “being considerate” may seem like a trivial thing at first glance, but we should never underestimate the impact it can have on others. Indeed, compassion is a powerful and harmonious energy that grows when shared and spread!
