This brought tears to our eyes.
Until Kenny Kukich was presented with the opportunity to do an act of kindness, it was just another routine day in the air for him. In 2016, the story was shared on the Love What Matters Facebook page, which gained a lot of attention.

Just as Kukich was getting ready to settle into his given seat on the airplane, he observed that there were some soldiers boarding the plane as well as him. He was in fact sat next to a few of other guys.

‘Can you tell me where you’re going?’ He remembered questioning the soldier who was sitting next to him. ‘Petawawa. Our assignment to Afghanistan will take us to Kuwait for two weeks of specific training before we depart for Afghanistan.’

Within an hour of taking off, a flight attendant made an announcement that they would be selling boxed lunches for $5 per person on the plane. With only a few of hours remaining on the flight, it seemed like a good idea to get lunch.

Just as Kukich was reaching for his wallet, one of the soldiers overheard another soldier ask about whether or not his fellow soldier wanted to purchase one of those in-flight packed meals.

‘No, that appears to be an excessive amount of money for only a sack lunch. Most likely, it wouldn’t be worth five dollars. I’ll hold off until we reach our destination.’

He felt compelled to do something for the soldiers after observing that none of them were purchasing food and realizing that some of them were in desperate need. He wished for them to be able to relax and enjoy the flight without feeling hungry at all. These were his thoughts as he made his way to the flight attendant and handed her a fifty-dollar piece of cash.

His instructions to the flight attendant were as follows: ‘Please serve lunch to all of those soldiers.’

The flight attendant, who had a son who was in the military at one stage and was deployed in Iraq, was overcome by the man’s gesture and started out smiling, tears in her eyes and pleasure in her heart.

“I get the impression that you are also doing it for my son.”

Every single one of the soldiers received their lunch, and as a token of appreciation, the flight attendant served Kukich a first-class meal throughout the journey. However, the story did not come to an end there. After getting up to use the toilet, a fellow passenger approached him and said that he had seen what he was doing and wanted to do the same, handing him a $25 cash.

When the pilot became aware of the Kukich’s actions, he immediately made his way to the main cabin in search of him.

‘I wanted to tell you that I used to be a military pilot, and someone once bought me lunch as well, and it was a gesture that I’ll never forget,’ the pilot said as he extended his hand to shake the man’s hand.

At this time, it seems like the whole airplane has become aware of the act of compassion and has shown a desire to contribute. As a result, two additional guys each gave Kukich another $25 in cash. In the end, he went to the soldiers and willingly gave them all of the money he had been so generously given.

It’s a pleasure to come across stories like this. Doing good for others does not always need the investment of resources. Each of us has an obligation to treat others with respect as members of our community. So, are you ready to start on this new adventure? Be compassionate, and let that kindness too spread across the whole community.

In light of this man’s actions, what did you think of them? Would you have acted in the same manner? Please let us know – and please feel free to SHARE this story with all of your loved ones.