She was nervous. Her daughter, Kate, has autism and her behavior is unpredictable. She can't sit still for very long and Shanell wondered how she would do on the flight.
Her nervousness grew as a businessman, Eric Kunkel, sat down beside them. Little Kate immediately started calling him "Daddy" and begin rubbing his jacket.
But Shanell was surprised by how the businessman reacted. Instead of asking for a seat change, ignoring little Kate or giving Shanell the "smile" that means "manage your child please," he did the opposite.
He set aside his work and for the next two-and-a-half hours engaged Kate in conversation and played games with her. This may seem like a simple gesture, but it made a big impact on little Kate and her mother.
Shanell expressed her thankfulness on Facebook by saying, "Sometimes the simplest things are such a big deal. It was a big deal for him to treat her like a little person. Thank you for entertaining Kate so much that she had her most successful plane ride, yet."
Remember this when you're serving in children's ministry...doing a little does so much in the life of a child. Even your smallest acts of kindness make a huge impact!
Here's more of this heartwarming story.