Each week I leave a short story or video blog here about where I saw love in action during the previous week.  Sometimes my story might have to do with my marriage.  Sometimes it won’t.  The point is that if we are looking for love throughout the week, we will have more faith in the power of the love we share with our spouse.

If you wish, please leave your story in the comments section about how you saw love in action last week!  Or write about it on your blog and leave a link to your blog in the comments section (and be sure to link your readers over here so they can see more stories about love in action!).

When I fly, I love to recapture the magic that used to exist at airports.  I imagine my flight attendant’s up-do just a little tidier.  And the baby in front of me dressed in a little sailor suit and dress shoes saved for visits to church, grandmas, and flying the friendly skies.  Sometimes I dress up too (though rarely in a sailor suit), for no reason other than to play the role of mysterious solo traveler (and also, because I suspect one gets better service when they are not wearing a track suit).  Since September 11th, our airport experience has been dehumanized.  It is hard to find a friendly face, especially once you make it to the security line.  And here I am challenged to be kind and patient.

As we stood in the security line on Thursday, Herb reminded me that the smoothies I tucked in my purse to replace an airport style lunch would not make it through security.   I quickly drank one and offered the other to a pudgy middle-aged agent who was organizing plastic zip-lock bags at a table.  “I forgot that I won’t be able to take this through security.  Would you like it?”

Without so much as bothering to look up at me he replied, “I can’t.  Its illegal.”

Suddenly, I despised him.  I became ugly.  “Really?  It would be ILLEGAL for you to drink this???”  I know rules are rules, but I did not understand why he couldn’t be a little sweeter about it.
“No”, he responded in that flat, emotionless tone that is required for DMV employees and TSA agents, “illegal to TAKE it.”   It is as if the government believes that if the people working in potentially stressful situations show any emotion or kindness at all, we, the customer will simply implode!

I was still wound up as I finally made it to the podium to show my boarding pass and identification.  I heard the attendant talking to a short woman at the front of the line, who looked like she might be visiting from South America.  She did not appear to understand what he was saying, “How many people are with you?”   Her and the one man behind her.  Why was he pushing her on something so clear?  She didn’t understand the question.  She stared blankly.  He continued.  “9? 14? 54? How many?”  He shuffled through her documents and figured it out on his own.  “Passport?”  Again, a silent stare from the passenger.  Louder this time, “Can I have your ID???”

Finally, I interjected, “Be patient with her.  She is trying.  She is figuring it out.  She doesn’t understand.”
“I AM being patient.”
“No, you are not being patient.”
“I am a VERY patient person!  Been a single dad for 14 years.”

Suddenly I wondered about him.  Why was he single?  Where had his wife gone? Were his children doing okay?  Later, I found myself grateful that my compassion kicked in, keeping me from saying something like, “Well, I feel sorry for your kids then!”
Quietly, I said it again, “You weren’t being patient with her.”

It was so much more than the fact that his behavior was distasteful, thereby ruining my attempt to reenact international travel experiences of the 40’s and 50’s.  It was sarcastic, rude, and impersonal.   My desire to see justice in our world flared up.  I was angry.

After I finished in his line, I apologized to the couple for his behavior, then found a spot in line to go through the x-ray machines.  Herb got into another line and gave me our signal for “Let’s race!”  It was just what I needed, something to stop taking our airport experience so personal.

I raced.  I won.  As I sat on a bench putting my coat and shoes back on, I felt ashamed.  Why was I so mean?  Why did I get so worked up?  What was wrong with me?

Herb joined me and I said, “Oh! I just got so frustrated with that guy! Did you hear me?”
“Yes, I heard you.  And you did a great job! You needed to say that to him – that was the right thing to do.”

And all at once, the anxiety and tension flooded out of my body and sat in a puddle on the dirty airport floor.  Perhaps the glamor of traveling is dead.  But my husband was on my team and that was all of the good old fashioned chivalry that I needed in the moment.

Where did you see love in action this week?