Everybody has their own thoughts about flying. While some enjoy being high in the sky and soaring above the clouds, others prefer having both feet planted on the ground.

It isn’t uncommon for people to have a fear of flying. In fact, 40% of passengers have a fear of being on a plane and about 2.5% have an actual phobia of flying.

For many of these passengers, it brings both anxiety and stress which can be difficult for anybody to try and overcome on their own. But sometimes, a stranger comes along and helps with the burden.

This is what happened for a 96-year-old woman on a Southwest flight from San Diego to Nashville.

The woman set out to visit her family in Kansas City for her birthday but hadn’t been on a plane in 15 years. Understandably, she was apprehensive about the flight and voiced that to the young man sitting next to her.

Fortunately, the young man was more than happy to assist the woman on her journey. He went above and beyond to make sure the woman was as comfortable as possible. His actions caught the attention of another passenger sitting across from the two in the next aisle.

Megan Ashley saw the kind interaction taking place between the two strangers and couldn’t help but snap photos of what was happening. She recounted their encounter on Facebook where the post became a viral hit.

In it, she wrote:

“She asked for this man’s hand during takeoff and then hugged him again when experiencing turbulence. This gentleman I should say, gladly took her hand, let her hold onto him, calmed her by talking to her and explaining everything that was happening, and simply was that stranger there for her.”

Ashley dubbed the man a “flight angel” for his extreme generosity and kindness.

She continued:

“He knew just what to do the entire flight to help. He helped her stand up to go to the restroom and watched her carefully walk down the aisle. It made me smile the whole flight as he comforted her.”

Even after they landed, the young man made sure that the woman reached her family. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight until he knew that she was secure.

“He held her bag, helped her get off the plane and into the wheelchair, and when she got confused wondering where her daughter went (she called her her sister), he stayed with her until she caught up with her daughter who got separated from her.”

My goodness! He truly was an angel. Either could have easily been whisked away in the bustling crowd of the airport but he took the time to accompany the woman every step of the way.

Ashley describes how witnessing the interaction made her feel:

“I walked away sobbing happy tears being so thankful for people like this wonderful human. She was so grateful that she wanted him to have her flight pretzels. Hats off to you sir, for your kind heart and your compassion toward someone whom you’ve never met. I have never been so touched on a flight before.”

The post has over 335,000 reactions and has been shared over 84,000 times. Clearly, many people were touched by this gentleman’s actions towards the woman.

It looks like angels really do fly!

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Source: Shareably