Word of Encouragement

This week I had an interesting experience on United Airlines. As a 1K flyer for more years than I care to count, I can recite from memory the announcements they make when they are ready to take off and land.

What made this week’s flight unique though was our flight attendant, Chris. She used these announcements to pass along a friendly reminder that we should “be kind” to our fellow passengers. The first time I heard it, I thought, “that’s a nice reminder."

By the time we were getting ready to land in Chicago, and she had reminded us seven or eight times to “be kind” I couldn’t help but think: “She is really serious. She wants us to really, truly be kind to each other.”

So, when we pulled into the gate, she concluded her announcements by telling us that we all deserved a round of applause for being so nice and kind. Everyone started applauding.

And as I looked around, I saw my fellow passengers smiling at me and each other. Her encouragement to be kind literally changed the attitude of the passengers on that plane.

It got me wondering how much better our country and world would be if we could get Chris, and people like her, on TV with a daily reminder about being kind to others around us.

Perhaps the reason her message resonated with me was because of a video that someone sent me that shows what kindness actually looks like.

The video highlights an eight-time international Paralympic track and field medalist, Blake Leeper. Blake has set three American records and is a current world record holder in track and field. He is really fast! He was born with no legs below the knee and was first fitted with prosthetic legs at just nine months old.

When he went to the hospital in Oklahoma City to have some new prostheses fitted in preparation for the 2021 Paralympics, he spotted KJ Dyer, a two-year-old who was taking his first steps on his new prosthetic leg.

I know you’re extremely busy, but trust me. You need to take a couple of minutes and watch as Leeper dropped what he was doing to offer KJ some encouragement and urged him to have fun while putting one foot in front of the other and make it down the hallway. Leeper described his motivation: “I promise to keep grinding and fighting so young KJ will have every opportunity to compete at the highest level!”

On a personal note, this video, along with Chris’s encouragement to be kind, resonated with me for a couple of reasons. First, growing up I had a hip disease that required me to spend some time in the hospital and wear a leg brace for four years. So, I know what it feels like to be seen as “different.”

And that brings me to my second reason. Over the years, I have been blessed to have a bunch of "Blakes" in my life. These are people who have richly blessed me by being kind to me and my family and encouraging me with their words and actions.

This week, I’d like to pass along Chris’s words to “be kind” and to emulate Blake’s actions by encouraging you to reach out to someone who, figuratively speaking, needs to “make it down the hallway of life and to have fun while putting one foot in front of the other.”

As the article about Blake noted: “The amazing thing about being a trailblazer is that you get to help others follow in your footsteps!” What a world it will be when we too become trailblazers by living out the words written in Ephesians to “Be kind and compassionate to one another.”