Random Act of Kindness

She picked him up yesterday afternoon, and raced him to his Mama, how lucky am I? I only got to see him for about 15 minutes before I had to race off for the evening for a wedding. I don't think either of them noticed terribly, do you?


Before I raced out the door, though, Brian told me about a woman that sat next to him on the flight from Atlanta to Bloomington. He chatted with her about his flight home to marry Courtney, and their impending whirlwind return back to base. She was also traveling from Bloomington to Champaign, in the next leg of her trip, and they talked about her time here.

When the plane landed, Brian's neighbor wished him well, and pressed a $100-bill into his hand. He resisted, telling her she was a bit too generous, but she implored him to keep it. Her husband, who had also served in the military, had recently passed away. It was a gesture that he would have appreciated, she said.


There are moments, and then, there are moments.

Courtney and Brian's first wedding gift was a random act of a kindness from a complete stranger. It was a fairytale moment, that will be reminisced about and handed down; I imagine them regaling the tale to their grandchildren, some day.

This beautiful stranger.

Tough act to follow, huh?