Later, a young boy from coach approached, eager to meet the pilot. Robert welcomed him warmly. “I’m not a pilot,” he said gently, “I was a janitor. But I helped my son become one.” Before landing, Daniel’s voice came over the intercom: “A special thanks to the man in seat 1C—without him, I wouldn’t be flying this plane today.” Robert’s eyes welled with tears. The boy grinned, “That’s you!” After the flight, Daniel took Robert out for dinner and handed him an envelope with first-class tickets to Arizona and a Grand Canyon tour. “We leave next month,” he said.
That trip became one of Robert’s most cherished memories. Years later, after Robert passed away, Daniel spoke at his funeral: “My father never flew a plane, but every time I take off, I take him with me.” So next time you judge someone by their clothes, think twice you might be overlooking the person who helped someone else soar.