Be Kind Mission Day Five

Tuesday February 22, 2011

Flight Charlotte to Norfolk Virginia

It was my fifth day of being on reserve, working four 14 hour days, and getting up at 4:00 am for the fifth day in a row. Needless to say, I was exhausted, worn out and frazzeled!

Scheduling had originally put me on a different schedule, but then when I was in the bathroom in Gainesville, Florida they said I would be working the flight to Norfolk upon my return to Charlotte. We landed in Charlotte late and I ran to the gate. I had not eaten in many hours, and the flight was ready to board. I went to grab some 3.00 chicken tenders at Burger King, and ran back to board the flight to Norfolk.

People weren't happy because the flight was delayed. When we were about to land in Norfolk many people started hitting their green flight attendant call button. I answered each passenger about their connecting flight with a smile and compassion in my voice. One lady, who had two beautiful daughters, rang her button. I made my way quickly to her, and she said, "My daughters are peeing in their pants."

Ugh.

I began to help them, and then I helped her children to the bathroom. As I made my way back to the bathroom, many angry passengers also wanted to know about their connecting flights.

I was kind to everyone of them, even though it was hard.

When we landed in Norfolk a gentleman approached me and said, "I want your name and employee nummber. I heard you got up at 4:00 am and now it is 5:00 pm. You have been kind to every single passenger today and we appreciate it. Your manager needs to know!"

Ah, finally, maybe I'm learning something about being kind-and it paid off!

Quotea "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
~Mother Teresa

The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.
~Mother Teresa

Don't wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.
~Mother Teresa

Be Kind Mission Day Four

Monday February 22 2011

Flight Washington DC to Nashville

We boarded the plane and then passengers had to sit there while we waited for ten more passengers. It was quite early, and people were beginning to get annoyed.

I made several announcements, as I was told by the gate agent what was happening.

Finally, we took off! After doing my beverage service, I began to have very needy passengers on the aircraft. I worked my tail off.

One gentleman rang his flight attendant call button and as I was running back to his seat, a lady stopped me in the aisle. "I'm cold." She says this and is wearing a long coat, turtleneck and very heavily dressed.

I said, "One moment please while I help the gentlemen who rang his call button."

She got annoyed.

I made my way back to the aircraft and helped this man out who spilled coffee all over him and his wife. I made my way back to the cold lady.

"I'm cold." "Maam, I think you're the only one cold I really can't adjust the heat for one person." She said, "The lady beside me is cold."

I called the Captain and he was more annoyed than I. He said, "Tell her to put her shoes back on." I cracked up! He did turn the heat up and it got very hot in that airplane. Fortunately, most people were asleep and didn't seem to notice. The rest of the long flight she grunted at me and was not very nice to me. I even went up to make sure she was now warm and she grunted again. I offered her bevarages, coffee and tea. She just wasn't going to be kind to me.

As she left the airplance she grunted again and I wished her a great day and week ahead.

Of course, it was my job and I had to be kind. Yet, it was definitely hard.


Mother Teresa prayer:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."Mother Teresa Prayer"

Day three Be Kind Mission February 20, 2010

Before the roosters crowed, I awoke. Time was approximately 4:00 am. I was in Huntsville, Alabama.

I made coffee and it came out weak-not a good start to my day. "Oh, forget the java."

I put on my flight attendant uniform, checked out of the Sheraton and made my way through security.

I got onto the aircraft at 5:15 am and did my usual morning duties. After about fifteen minutes, I was ready to board for the 6:00 am flight. The first officer said, "We're broke." I said, 'Broke, do you want me to buy you guys coffee?' He said, 'No, I mean we're not going anywhere the plane is broke!' "For this, I got up...?!" I said, and he said, "You're preaching to the choir."

We got off the aircraft and the Pilot bought us coffee.

Two hours went by and the problem was fixed.

We got back onto the aircraft at about 7:20 am. A passenger boarded the plane and said, "I'm sorry, but you won't have happy passengers this morning." I said, 'Well, thanks for smiling!'

Then, here comes my passenger challenge of the day. She walked onto the aircraft with a major frown, didn't look at me and literally ran down the aisle crying to her seat. Some distraught man was tagging along behind who, and I would later find out that was her husband.

As I made my announcement I apologized for the delay and assured everyone that this would be a good flight. I did my beverage service and when I reached this particular couple, she still was not smiling.

I said, "Is there anything I can help you guys with?!" Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! She said, "Oh yes, we are going to be late for our flight to Fort Lauderdale. If we miss that flight, we will miss our family cruise."

Ok, now it was beginning to make sense! I asked for the time of departure and the flight number. I spoke with the Captain, and he made a call into their gate to hold the plane. I even moved this couple to the front row so they could depart first. I made it a point to have a speedy cart at the gate for them when we landed.

By the end of the flight, they both were smiling. She said, "Right before I boarded the plane, the ramp agent said that I had an attitude problem." I said, "What?!" She told me the story and we both began laughing very hard.

Now, I know why she was totally upset. She was afraid she would miss her family cruise, and the ramp agent had been rude to her.

Kindness did pay off.

Quote "Receptivity is the posture that fills empty hands." Mother Teresa

Day Two February 19, 2011 Be Kind Mission

Saturday February 19, 2011 My birthday Day Two

We landed in Asheville North Carolina lastnight. I was reminded of the lady I did not like who set up the breakfast in the morning! Could I be kind to her?

I awoke on my birthday and walked downstairs to the breakfast area. I smiled at complete strangers, and got my fruit cup and biscuits and gravy. There she was. Still here, still the same person that I remembered.

I said nothing to her. I actually kept my back to her, and got my food as soon as possible hoping that she wouldn't say anything to me.

I'm not doing too good on this be kind mission. Obviously, this is why I need to do it. I need to learn lessons myself about being kind to those that are not kind to you.

It's easy to be kind to others when they are kind to you.

It's more of a mission here on earth to be the first to be kind when those who are miserable need it.

Quote "What matters is not how much we do, but how much love we put into what we do."
Mother Teresa

be kind mission-day one

February 18 2011

 Day One Be Kind Challenge

Blew it first thing this morning! Got up at 3:00 am to get to work. My husband had to drive me from Outer Banks to Norfolk. Flight Attendants are on standby-we don’t get special boarding priveleges, even when we need to get to work.

When I got to the airport it was packed, so early to be packed! I wasn’t smiling much. I forgot about my be kind mission. When I got to the gate, the gate agent was especially short and rude and I don’t mean short in height like me.

I tried explaining to him that I needed to get to work, and that last night I was bumped from my flight. So my husband and I had already driven four hours yesterday and I got four hours of sleep to get back to here in the morning to catch this flight. First thing he says is ,  “It’s not looking good for you. The 7:00 am flight was cancelled so everyone is on this 5:20 am flight. If you have a problem, speak to my manager-you need more patience.”

What?! More patience? Is he kidding me? I bit my tongue, and walked away. I went to the other gate agent who was equally as rude, and yet he gave a pilot a seat before me who came to the window after me. I sat and waited and got on the airplane when all was said and done, there were six empty seats on that plane!

I was not kind to the gate agent.

I failed day one..but wait, it is only 7:53 in the morning, maybe I can redeem the day!

Quote “By forgetting yourself, you find yourself.” Mother Teresa

Be Kind Mission

BeKindMission/Mother Teresa/LauraAnn 365 days of kindness

February 17, 2011 Introduction

Kindness is a lost art. It has faded with time. Yet, kindness is worth gold. There is an old proverb that says, “A kind word is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

Mother Teresa has always been my heroin. As a little girl I was fascinated by her kindness. It was my mother who wrote often on my bathroom mirror, “Be kind to everyone.” Mother Teresa drove the value home.

Yet, somewhere down the time line, I lost the art of kindness. Perhaps it is because after traveling the world as a missionary, I realized the truth that people aren’t kind. It is in the moments where people aren’t kind that makes it quite challenging to be kind to others.

Mother Teresa was kind even when others weren’t kind to her. She is our example in this blog for the next 365 days.

I spent five years traveling from Mongolia to India. Now, I am a flight attendant with PSA airlines. It was easy to be kind to a Mongolian orphan. It is more challenging to be kind to someone when they are on your aircraft lying to your face, or worse, lying to your manager with you standing right there.

I have only been a flight attendant for two months, and have made it my personal mission to be kind to everyone for 365 days-even those not nice to me. I will let Mother Teresa be my inspiration, and let God give me the strength for this mission.

Quote “If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you will know who you are.”

Mother Teresa