Several years ago I watched a Tim Tebow video. He shared how there was a medical emergency on a flight he was once on. He asked the airline attendant if he could pray with the family.

At the back of the plane, a man laid unconscious in the aisle. His wife was sobbing and immediately fell into Tim’s arms. Another friend cried, “There are no words.” Tim prayed with them the rest of the flight.

It reminded me of my plane trip almost 33 years ago—the day after my dad died. My college roommate drove me to the airport to fly to his funeral. It was a few days after the first Gulf War had started and security was tight. I distinctly remember going up the escalator alone, crying.

I started crying uncontrollably on the plane, too. I’m sure some people may have thought I was afraid of the turbulence, but no one offered any comforting words. My plane stopped in Dallas and I waited anxiously for my sister to board my flight to take us both to Cleveland. I needed her in that moment. But the door closed, and my sister wasn’t on the plane.

I started crying again. My loneliness was overwhelming. Still nothing from any passenger or flight crew.

In that moment I could have used someone like Tim. Someone who would take a few minutes to turn to a teenage girl and say, “Whatever it is, it’s going to be OK.” Someone who would offer a smile, or a pat on the shoulder, or an encouraging word.

Not that there weren’t many acts of kindness during that week. A friend lent me a blouse to wear to the funeral. My roommate paid for my plane ticket. The night my dad died several girlfriends stayed up with me all night to watch movies because I didn’t want to be alone. The stranger who put their arm around me in our campus prayer chapel as I sobbed. My cousins, whom I barely knew, and one of their boyfriends (David later was the Best Man at my wedding!) who kept my sister and I company and helped us smile during the three-day funeral.

Tim reminded me how important kindness is. Because you never know when a small act of kindness might mean everything to the other person. The Town of Gilbert’s official nickname is Kindness USA. I try to be intentional about showing kindness to strangers. Will you join me?