We finally departed from the Orlando airport yesterday morning at 8:00 am. The day before we attempted to get on 8 flights to no avail. When we didn't get on the first flight I offered to purchase Clara a treat after every flight we missed. Little did I know that I would be buying her so MANY treats. She now has three little stuffed dogs, a cool American girl doll puzzle book, a necklace, AND she consumed Starbucks, Burger King and a plethora of snacks. (I might have spent more $ in the airport than I spent on our whole trip...AAAHHH)
My goal for the getaway was to spend time with Clara. We bonded in a unique way sitting in the airport for so many hours. I was amazed at her quiet demeanor as we waited (of course the treats helped). She did not complain once!!
We also met some lovely people throughout the day, some of them became our buddies for the day. A lady from Dallas, a fun young woman from Atlanta (Clara thought she was the coolest), an elderly couple from Philadelphia, a couple from Portland, Oregon who had just completed a Disney Cruise with their whole family (three kids + spouses and several grandchildren), a professional specializing in cancer treatment plans.
It was also an excellent teaching opportunity to show Clara how a little kindness goes a long way. At the end of the day we wanted to determine the best way to get home. There were two represetatives at the counter...one did the minimal. She wasn't rude, she just didn't show a bit of compassion.
After receiving little help from her, we asked the lady standing next to her for some help. Her name was Luz R. She went out of her way to help us. She treated us with kindness and compassion. She made me smile when I wanted to cry.
It was a great moment to show Clara the contrast between treating someone as an individual and treating someone as one of the masses. It was a valuable visual lesson for treating people with kindness and respect.
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