For the vast majority of us, trips to the airport can be at best a tedious experience. These are often crowded places, full of people rushing to one place or another or sitting for a long time doing nothing except occasionally glancing at the departure board.
Author and speaker Kevin Armentrout would have expected such frustrations when he was at the airport recently with his 16-month-old daughter. However, his experience was so unforgettable that he had to share it with the world.
The long and short of Armentrout’s story surrounds his toddler Carter Jean and an unlikely acquaintance she made by the name of Joseph Wright.
Credit: Kevin Armentrout/Facebook
Joseph Wright is a sales manager from Oklahoma, but it turns out he also has a heart of gold.
He struck up a friendship with Carter Jean Armentrout, 16 months old that left her father Kevin overloaded with emotion.
Kevin himself knew he had to detail their encounter on Facebook, and wrote the following:
“Last night, while waiting to board our plane, [Carter Jean] was being her usual inquisitive self wanting to meet and say ‘hi’ to everyone she could, until she walked up on this man,” he wrote.
“He reached out and asked if she wanted to sit with him. He pulled out his tablet and showed her how to draw with it, they watched cartoons together, and she offered him snacks. This wasn’t a short little exchange, this was 45 minutes. Watching them in that moment, I couldn’t help but think, of different genders, different races, different generations, and the best of friends. This is the world I want for her.
“In a country that is continuously fed that it’s so deeply divided by beliefs, I want her life to be filled with moments like this… not liberal or conservative republican or democrat, socialist or capitalist, just HUMAN.”
What’s more, in an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Armentrout admitted that Joseph showed endearing patience towards his daughter.
“There were a few moments she screamed and tried to get into his work calendar, but he couldn’t care less,” he said.
Fortunately, Armentrout’s post was able to find its way to Joseph’s friends, who were left unsurprised by the sentiment.
All told, Kevin’s post has garnered 386,000 likes at the time of writing, as well as more than 153,000 shares.
Joseph Wright, we salute you! If only more people took the time out of their days to connect with their fellow human beings!
