It seems like whenever we turn on the news these days, it’s a bombardment of scary, sad, angering, or disappointing news. Right now, our world seems to be full of turmoil and division. And although that might be true on some level, it’s important to remember all of the good people out there.
This story is the perfect example of what it means to be a kind human – and it’s a lesson and narrative that we could all use right now.
A man named Denny Kukich was boarding a plane for a long flight home. Also on Denny’s flight was a group of soldiers that began to board. They began to fill all of the vacant seats around Denny, so he used the opportunity to strike up a conversation with one of them.
‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. ‘Petawawa. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Afghanistan,’ as was written to Love What Matters (by Beverly Brass as told by Denny Kukich).
As the flight reached cruising altitude, it was announced that lunch would be served on the flight – however, it was only available for purchase for $5.
Reaching in his wallet to pay for lunch, Denny overheard the soldiers starting to talk to each other. The consensus between their group was that the $5 seemed way too steep for a sack lunch and that they’d all wait until they returned to base in order to eat.
Upon hearing this, Denny excused himself from his seat and walked to the back of the plane to the galley. He took out his wallet and handed a $50 bill to the flight attendant.
“Take a lunch to all of those soldiers,” Denny said. The flight attendant had tears in her eyes as he said this.
Not only was his kind action so selfless and incredible, but the flight attendant’s son was a soldier in Iraq – making the gesture even more touching. She loaded up the ten sack lunches and handed them out to the soldiers on the plane. On her way, she stopped and asked Denny if he’d like ‘beef or chicken’ – she wanted to give him a meal from First Class as a ‘thank you’.
The soldiers couldn’t believe Denny’s kind gesture and were extremely thankful for buying them a meal. After eating, Denny got up to use the restroom and was stopped by a random passenger on the plane.
“‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars,” the story continued.
Denny returned to his seat, stunned by the domino-effect of kindness that was occurring. Then, the flight’s captain came out of the cockpit.
“With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers,” Denny explained.
The flight continued and Denny got up to stretch his legs. As he walked to the front of the plane, another man wanted to shake his hands – when he did, he handed Denny another $25 as a ‘thank you’. He couldn’t believe it!
Then, as the flight came to an end, Denny was gathering his belongings and entered the jetway. It was there that yet ANOTHER person handed him another $25 – saying nothing at all. Denny was shocked at this point. That’s when he knew just what to do with the money.
“Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base.. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'”
‘Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.’
Denny’s story is a reminder that we all have the ability to be kind, compassionate, and human to one another. Just the smallest act can create a cascade of love! Don’t forget to share this incredible story of humanity with your friends and family.
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"I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm…
Posted by Love What Matters onSunday, January 3, 2016
