Give a Little Grace
Something made me sad then made me so happy at the airport recently.
When I arrived at the airport at 5:30am, I wasn’t surprised there was a long line for security. However I was surprised it was allll the way to the entrance of the airport. Thankfully, I have TSA Pre-check and had already checked in and wasn’t checking a bag.
So I got in the Pre-check line which was longer than normal but nothing compared to the regular line. Just in front of me in line was a young lady who looked a bit like me to me. She had a child in a stroller and two carry-on luggage bags. I spoke to her and she smiled back. As we got closer to the agent, she turned and asked me if the line was for Delta. That’s when I confirmed what I thought. She was from Africa- Haiti. Her accent let me know, and itimmediately conjured up memories of my amazing two weeks in Ghana.
I told her the line was for any of the airlines and asked if she was Pre-check. She said yes.
When she got to the agent, since I was next in line I saw and heard clearly when the agent told her she wasn’t Pre-check and had to go back through the Pre-check line and get in the regular line. This was with the child in the stroller and two suitcases. AND the regular line was probably even longer than when I got to the airport.
My heart broke for her, and I was wishing I could give her my Pre-check privilege. But I couldn’t. And I had to go on so that I didn’t miss my flight.
As I went through security and made it to my gate, I thought about her and worried that she would miss her flight.
To my surprise, not long after I took a seat at the gate, there she was pushing that stroller and two bags right up to the same gate. I went over to her seat and told her how happy I was that she was making her flight and asked if someone had let her break line. I knew that was the only way she could have made it. She said yes, and I’m so glad someone gave her that grace!
As I spoke to her, the maybe 3 year-old girl who had been in the stroller hugged me. And held me. She looked up and smiled at me as I talked to her mom. When I said goodbye and tried to walk away the girl smiled and laughed a bit and playfully held me closer.
Her mom smiled and pried the girl’s hands from around my legs. I smiled back and returned to my seat so grateful that she made it to the gate and grateful for the little loving interaction with this sweet little African girl who looked like she could have been mine. 
