I had resigned myself to airport prison over the Junebug knife, but before any of that happened, we encountered Tiffany. Who was Tiffany? She was the kind of person that made being wheeled through a busy airport by a stranger feel like a walk through the neighborhood with a friend.
Traveling through an airport when you can’t see well requires something that’s hard for many of us to accept—help. I am one of those people. Asking for help has never come naturally to me.
Even with a travel buddy, it can be challenging for me to traverse a busy airport. So, when flying, especially through large airports, I will schedule wheelchair assistance. This is not because I cannot walk, but as a safety measure for myself and those around me.
Even though the airlines do a wonderful job providing this service, it’s the people behind it who make all the difference.
We met Tiffany right away at the ticketing counter. She was a sweet, southern lady with an easy smile. As she finished checking us in for our flight, I reminded her of the wheelchair assistance. She said she would call for someone, then she sent us over to a separate waiting area.
We didn’t even have time to sit down when Tiffany herself popped through the crowd, parting them easily with the wheelchair she was piloting. She said she would just take me herself because it would give her a little break from the ticket counter.
We got me all loaded up and headed toward security. I apologized to her right away, telling her I am a little chunky.
She laughed and said, “That’s Ok. I’m a little chunky too.” (Although, truthfully, she was not. She was just being sweet.)
She was an animated conversationalist, and we found that this was her summer job. You could tell she was a people-person and enjoyed meeting new people. We found out that this was her last week at this job, as she was heading back to work in a local school system soon.
We headed past the regular check-in line, which was a little crowded, straight for the TSA PreCheck line, which was empty.
At this point I figured this would be the easiest I ever got through airport security. If you read my previous blog post, you know that the Junebug knife made itself known and put a small kink in that smooth TSA PreCheck process.
We got through it.
Tiffany continued guiding my wheelchair in and out through the crowds and chatting like she had known us forever. She talked more like we were friends than brand new acquaintances.
She was sorry that I’d lost the Junebug knife. I still smile when I think about it. Her eyes got so big when I had to confess to the TSA Agent that, yes, I was most likely concealing a knife in my travel gear. I told her I was a writer, and the situation would most likely end up as a blog post.
She asked about my blog. I gave her one of my business cards with my blog information. She said she would check it out. I told her she may end up in one of my blogs. That made her laugh.
Tiffany would probably have made it into the blog even without the Junebug knife incident.
The truth is that she wasn’t just pushing a wheelchair to accomplish a task. She was helping preserve my independence and dignity in a place that can feel overwhelming to me. I have only flown a few times since my vision loss, because being in large crowds is stressful. She was kind and she treated me like a person instead of just another passenger.
The impression that Tiffany left me with was good. I will smile when I think of her name and her part in one of my most memorable airport experiences.
She may never preach a sermon to hundreds of people, but if she treats every traveler with patience and kindness, as she did me, she may be, without knowing it, living-out mini sermons every day.
For me, this experience makes Tiffany a good name to have!
The Bible tells us that to have a good name is important…very important.
“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” — Proverbs 22:1
My eyesight may be limited, but that day I saw something beautiful.
Who knows? Tiffany may have forgotten about my blog by the end of her shift.
She may never read this and know how much her kindness meant to me.
She may never realize that what seemed like an ordinary day at work for her became a reminder of Christ’s kindness to me.
I hope she does read it.
Sometimes God doesn’t just get us where we’re going.
Sometimes He sends someone to help us get there.
Sometimes He sends a Tiffany.
Be a Tiffany.
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My life is blessed and I feel peace, even through hardships that I have seen. I feel that I always need to tell you about where that blessing and peace come from. They come from Jesus!
Do you know the peace that can come only from an intimate relationship with Jesus? You can know Him. Jesus Christ—God’s Son, born into human flesh, sinless, crucified and giving His life freely, buried, arisen on the third day—will come into your life and change the outcome of your eternity. You just have to be willing to believe and accept His truth. In addition, here is an excellent page that can give you additional information on peace with God: PeaceWithGod.net.
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Blog Image: AI Generated
Restricted Vision, Unburdened Sight 