The power of you.

I have to share with you a little snippet that I witnessed at the end of my travels on the airplane as we exited at the Milwaukee airport. It's just too good not to share.
Here's what happened.
Our flight on Midwest Airlines went really smooth- we arrived from Nashville and were given the okay to gather our belongings and prepare to exit the plane. About half of the passengers on board got their bags and stood in the aisle while we waited for the Jet Bridge to be put in place for us to make our way inside the terminal. Well, I'm not certain who is to blame, but for some reason the Jet Bridge couldn't be placed next to the plane. There were at least 10 attempts made to line it up with the airplane door, but each time they didn't get close enough for a proper exit.
Let me tell you that the flight attendant had the door open and the temperature was about 4 degrees. It was almost 10 pm and I am guessing most of us on the aircraft were tired and cold. Crew was growing more and more restless, along with all of the other passengers. To add to the fact that not only were we being delayed on the plane, but each time the Jet Bridge backed up to try to line up with the airplane door, there was that annoying beeping that occurs when vehicles drive in reverse. It was really loud too! So, after as many as 10 failed attempts, the flight attendant got on her speaker phone and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, it appears the Jet Bridge is experiencing some techinal difficulties, this evening. It will likely be another couple of minutes until you can exit the plane. Thank you for your patience".
We all waited for another 10 attempts at getting the bridge in place...I could sense the patience of many wearing thin at this point. Crew was getting more annoyed at waking to the loud sound of the beep and he really didn't want the pacifier I was holding in his mouth at this point either. I was feeling most sorry for both the Jet Bridge driver (as we could all watch him out the windows) and for the flight attendant too (who looked like she wanted to pass out some more signature chocolate chip cookies to all of us just to pass the time and to take our minds off of what was happening at the doorway). It seemed like it was taking forever as we continued to wait.
Seriously, they tried to back up the bridge at least 20 times. The flight attendant (Heather) turned to the passengers that were lined up just behind here close to the exit, she smiled, bowed her head and said,
"Dear God,
Just once could you help everything to go smoothly for me at this job.
Amen."
The passengers laughed with her as she looked back at all of us and grinned.
Soon we were all taking the stairs down the side of the plane and stepping onto a snowy, icy landing- sans Jet Bridge.
The pilots even stepped out of the cabin to bid us all a good evening and they too, thanked us for our patience.
I couldn't help but think how our actions so quickly set the tone for any given circumstance. Clearly this flight attendant could have gotten miffed at having toapologize for something out of her control. She easily could have stood there rolling her eyes and breathing heavily- annoyed as the rest of us. Instead, her bit of humor, at just the right moment, lightened the mood and made us all feel more at ease with the whole situation.
I vowed then and there to try to act more like her at all the trying times that life sends our way throughout our days and weeks. We really DO have the power to turn a potentially upsetting situation into one that is laughable. We really DO have the choice of how to respond to circumstances throughout the day. Whether or not those circumstances are in or out of our control doesn't matter. How we choose to respond can make or break the moment. No matter how big or small it is.
I hope this little story is a good reminder for you and me to take with us as we go about doing life. The little moments matter. The way we live in those moments matters too. I think it would have been a good idea to hand out extra cookies at the door of the plane that night too. That would have made the moment even sweeter. =)
Have you doubted the 'power of you' lately? Have you questioned your purpose at times- especially when life seems to spin circles around you? I hope I've encouraged you to tap into the good in you. We all have it. We all can use it. I love seeing it in real life. If you've seen it played out recently, please share your story in the comments here. I think it would be fun to read of other examples that some of you have witnessed/been a part of lately (good or bad). Yes...there is power in you!