Air Terminal Spirit of Christmas

My brother just came home after interning for the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC, and while spending a day in multiple airports, he really got into the Spirit of Christmas.


While checking in his bags, he was informed that his bag was overweight, which would cost him an extra $90. Being a poor college student, he thought of all the meals that would pay for and decided to lighten the load instead of coughing up the dough.


Before this, a middle-aged gentleman behind him in line chit-chatted a bit with him while they were both waiting. Just polite conversation that Nathan didn't think too much about.

As Nathan moved aside to begin unloading items like mouthwash, deodorant, etc... to meet the weight requirements, the man behind him had his turn.

Nathan overheard little bits of their conversation but was too busy on trying to figure out what NOT to bring that it wasn't until the terminal worker stated, "Thank you for letting me realize that Santa Claus is still alive and well" that Nathan paid a little more attention to his surroundings.

When he looked up, the worker had tears in her eyes (I'm not joking, but I also wasn't there and Nathan tends to get a bit theatrical in his statements, so take it as you'd like) informing Nathan that he could put everything back in his bag.

Thinking at first that his downtrodden expression of a woeful college intern just wanting to get back to his family was the reason, he hurriedly put everything back and checked in.



Then it clicked that something else happened. He asked if the other man paid for his luggage, and the worker just smiled and shrugged, saying she couldn't say.


Who does that, nowadays? Nathan thought.


He tried to find the gentleman to at least make eye contact with and wave, but he was already at his terminal gate behind a security gate, so Nathan briefly thought of jumping the gate to thank him.

Luckily, he realized that he'd be viewed as some crazy psycho by security and never allowed home. So instead, he's resolved himself that one day he will pay it forward and help someone else in need.

It may not have been a big deal to the stranger or maybe the unknown man had someone help him in the past, but it meant a lot to one undergrad traveling alone.

As Nathan boarded his plane, waiting to take off, another man sitting next to him offered him the rest of his mixed nuts mix, "Because they never give you quite enough on these flights."


Nathan almost burst into tears (and that I can imagine). Where are these people coming from?!


It's amazing what simple acts of generosity and kindness can do, which is the true Spirit of Christmas.