Kindness Is Contagious

林锋

善良造就人心的魅力，人心的魅力來自于对他人的关爱。我们心中的善良具有“传染性”，一经接触便会传播开来。

My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Charlotte to spend a week with my husband in Miami. We were excited about the trip because we had seen him only five times in five months， and Kallie missed her dad terribly.

As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight， the plane was totally full. Kallie and I could not get seats together and were separated by the aisle. When the two passengers who shared my row boarded the plane， ① I asked if they would switch places with Kallie and me， so that we could be together and so that she could sit next to the window. ②They refused， saying they thought they should stay in their assigned seats. Meanwhile， a mother and her three children were③ in a panic several rows ahead of us.

The passengers in her row also refused to move elsewhere. The mother could hold her baby， but her 6-year-old son and his older brother had been scattered around the plane. She was very concerned about the younger boy sitting with strangers. She was in tears， yet nobody offered to help her.

Suddenly the Scout leader beside us stood up and said， “Madam， I think we can help you.”④He then spent five minutes rearranging his group so that adequate space was available for the family. The boys followed his directions cheerfully and without complaint， and the mother’s relief was obvious.

Kallie， however， was beginning to panic at the thought of not being next to a window or her mother. I told her that there wasn’t anything I could do. Amazingly， the man sitting next to the Scoutmaster （not a Scout himself）， turned around to me and asked， “Would you and your daughter like our seats？”We traded seats and continued our trip， very much relieved to be together.

Would that man have offered us his seat if the Scouts hadn’t done so for the mom and her children？ I don’t know. But I do know that kindness is contagious.