Photo: Facebook
What a kind woman.
By Taylor Haynes — Written on Dec 20, 2022
For many, traveling home for the holidays can be the most exciting time of the year but for those traveling with kids whilst also facing financial instability, it can be one filled with stress.
However, during giving season, nothing spreads holiday cheer like the kindness of strangers — as was proven in a viral Facebook post in which one good samaritan shared what she did to pay it forward this year.
A post shared by Daily Dose of Kindness, a Facebook page dedicated to providing joyful and happy stories to brighten anyone’s day, recalls one woman's chance encounter at an airport.
After finding a mother sleeping at the airport with her kids, she stepped in.
The story was shared by a woman named Cyn Symoné who wrote, "I missed my first flight to LA yesterday and had to catch another. I was so upset, but now I know why!"
She explains that when she finally made it to LAX and was waiting on her bags to come through baggage claim, she overheard a woman crying in the bathroom.
“I was wondering if I should say something like, 'It’s gonna be okay,' but I was nervous and she was speaking Spanish so I didn’t know if she’d even understand me,” she wrote.
At first, she decided to leave the woman alone but ended up coming back to the bathroom four times while she waited for her bags, battling with herself about whether she should speak to the woman.
"I heard her say, 'But the bus doesn’t come until tomorrow.' My heart dropped," Symoné wrote.
Instantly, she wanted to help the woman and asked her if she had Zelle or CashApp so she could send her money but the woman did not.
“So I asked her if I could pay for a hotel until tomorrow and she stopped crying and opened the stall door AND I SAW THE SLEEPING KIDS,” she continued.
In her post, she includes a photo of the woman leaning over her child who is lying on a blanket that is spread out on the floor of the bathroom stall.
“I felt so happy to help her, knowing I'd just be spending my little money on bullsh-t,” Symoné added.
“She rode with me to the Marriott and I got her a room," Symoné concludes the post, sharing the happy ending to the ordeal but she also adds a note explaining why she wanted to publicize her good deed.
"I wanted to share this because I kept thinking, 'HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME INTO THE BATHROOM, HEARD HER CRYING FOR HOURS, DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE KIDS, AND KEPT GOING?'
“I’m glad I said something because she was super sweet and appreciative and she had babies with her."
Many people were in admiration of Symoné's kindness.
"God bless you for [being] a good person. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully, people will remember your story and do the right thing during encountering the type of situation," wrote one user.
"I loved this. So kind," added another, "Thanks to all the [people] out the paying it forward and blessing others. You never know what a small gesture means to someone until you make the kind gesture."
Others reminded fellow Facebook users that this can be a challenging time of year for many, in spite of all the holiday cheer, and recommended that we all be on the lookout to help serve those who need it most.
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Taylor Haynes is a writer based in Chicago. She covers entertainment, news and human interest stories at YourTango. You can find her on Instagram here.