My family lives on the East Coast and so I have spent many a holiday in airports, trudging through the crowds of not so festive travelers. After enduring bumper-to-bumper traffic and long lines to check way too much baggage they snail their way through the long security lines. Crying children, no food and/or way too much alcohol make many quite irritable and sometimes downright nasty!
Yet upon boarding the plane the flight crew always greets each with a smile and a kind word. With good humor they resolve conflicts over seat assignments and manage to stuff most of those "carry on" size bags into the overhead compartments. They listen patiently as we complain about the cost of tickets, the condition of the airport, the flight delays, the temperature, the lack of legroom and airline cutbacks.....like there is anything they can do about any of these things!
It always amazes me how they tolerate all that complaining with a smile on their faces and not a cross word to be heard! This is the case year-round, but I think it is especially true during the busy holiday season.
I just want to take this moment to say "thank you" to these wonderful men and women who bring us safely to our family celebrations. I know from some of my clients who work in the airline industry about the grueling schedules with little turn-around time in strange cities.
This Thanksgiving many of you will be inflight while the country lounges stuffed on their couches. You'll arrive at your destination, not to a home-made feast of turkey and pumpkin pie, but to a hotel room and room service (if you are lucky enough to reach your hotel in time). You will have sacrificed your holiday so that we can have ours.
I just want you to know how much you are appreciated! And that is why Monika and I launched Air Vitals. We hope that, in some small way, we are able to make your lives a little more healthful, peaceful and contented. I look forward to hearing from you with your thoughts, needs and ideas.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Diane Whelan, MPH, RD
Co-owner, Air Vitals
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