One of the best things about being kind is that it’s so easy to do. Opportunity presents itself at nearly every corner, and sometimes even in the unlikeliest of places.
What sets remarkable people apart from others is how they choose to act when they see someone in need. One person like this has touched the hearts of so many that it’s only right we share it with you.
The story began with a woman named Denny Kukich settling in for a rather long flight.
As she stated,
“I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat.”
Sharing her story on the “Love What Matters” Facebook page, Denny explained that this particular flight was a long one. So, she was glad that she’d thought ahead when she chose to bring a book along. Due to the length of the time she’d be flying, she thought she’d probably have ample time for a nap as well.
But as she was waiting for takeoff, Denny saw a group of soldiers coming toward her down the aisle.
With so many empty seats, several sat down nearby. So, she started a conversation with one of the gentlemen. That’s when Denny asked the one soldier seated nearby where he was off to.
He answered her by saying they were all being deployed to Afghanistan.
The two of them talked for so long that an entire hour had passed. That’s when a flight attendant announced that sack lunches were available for $5. Considering it’d be a while before Denny reached her destination, she opted to buy lunch. But then, something happened that she hadn’t expected.
She overheard several soldiers talking about the available lunches.
Denny then reached into her wallet to pay for her lunch when she asked the soldier she’d been speaking with if he was going to get one.
“No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to the base,” the soldier replied.
After he said he was going to wait to get to the base, Denny heard another soldier chime in to agree.
After Denny glanced around, she saw that all of the soldiers were opting out of lunch due to the cost.
But as Denny looked around, she noticed that none of the soldiers were buying the sack lunch. Immediately, she got up from her seat and walked to the front of the plane. There, she approached the flight attendant and handed her $50. She then politely asked her to give each of the soldiers lunch.
The flight attendant squeezed Denny’s arm tightly as she started to cry.
With heartfelt words, she stated, “My son was a soldier in Iraq, it’s almost like you are doing it for him.” She then prepared to hand each soldier a bagged lunch.
But before she did that, she wanted to know if Denny liked beef or chicken better.
She was puzzled but after the flight attendant passed out the bagged lunches, she gave Denny an incredible dinner that was for first-class passengers only. Her only comment, “This is your thanks.”
After eating, Denny headed to the restroom located in the back of the plane.
Denny was stopped by another passenger who noticed the act of kindness she’d shown.
This man told her, “I want to be part of it. Here, take this.” With that, he handed her $25. But that wasn’t the end of it.
With a broad smile on his face, he told Denny that he personally wanted to thank her. Come to find out, Denny’s kind gesture especially touched the captain. Speaking in a loud voice, he said,
“I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.”
Although Denny felt a little uncomfortable with all the attention, the rest of the plane didn’t care. Everyone stood up and gave her a hearty round of applause. Later in the flight, she walked to the front of the plane to stretch out a bit.
That’s when another passenger handed her $25.
As she waited to get off the plane, yet another passenger put $25 in her pocket, smiled, and walked away without saying a word. When Denny got inside the terminal, she located the soldiers and handed them the $75. Her only parting words,
“It’ll take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God bless you.”
Denny’s story proves kindness will never go out of style and that everyone can get in on the fun.
Thank you to our service members and all the kind souls like Denny who remind them what they’re fighting for.
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