Since we’ve broached the subject of taking food from strangers, I’d like to share another recent travel moment. Two weeks ago, I traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina where I took these photos of Historic Oakwood Cemetery.
My flights in both directions were rescheduled, rerouted, and delayed by several hours. As you may have guessed from reading our Travel Tips, for convenience I always carry gluten-free food with me when I fly.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had to move my meals closer and closer together in order to keep my hypoglycemia in check. I can no longer wait until I feel hungry to eat, but have to consume at regular intervals in order to maintain my energy level and feel my best. This requires that in addition to carrying food, I must look at the schedule in advance so I’ll know if I need to eat a snack on the plane in order to keep my blood sugar level even.
On this trip, I followed my normal procedure and arrived at the airport feeling prepared. I sailed through security with my plastic containers of food and headed for the gate. As a flight delay led to late boarding, followed by sitting on the tarmac for an hour, followed by taxiing back for more fuel, I found myself captive on the plane without enough food to last until we reached the next destination.
As we began our descent, I was hoping to avoid the point at which my blood sugar drops so low that my hand starts to tingle, my lips get numb, and I feel overwhelmed and groggy. I started a mental inventory of my options. Was there time to investigate and consume the $11 snack boxes sold on the plane? Should I ask for a coke? I could already feel the anxious tension creeping from my shoulder blade to my neck. My mind was whirling.
About that time, a young man sitting across the aisle and one row in front of me opened the can of apple juice he’d been staring at for almost an hour. He filled his plastic glass then looked at me with a knowing look and asked if I wanted the rest. His offer was unexpected and the perfect solution at the perfect time. I accepted with a nod and a smile. He smiled back. I quietly offered a thank you.
That was the extent of our interaction. We had not been conversing and we didn’t begin to at that point. This man was simply attuned enough to recognize my need and I was willing to accept his gift. It was the kind of powerful everyday moment that can feed our hearts, mind, and spirits when we allow our minds to be open and our hearts willing to receive.
Taking the apple juice from a stranger allowed me to finish the flight with no ill effects. For that stranger, I am grateful. For that juice, I am grateful. For that moment, I am grateful.
