Be the kindest
Vol. 5, Issue 16
“You can’t always be the smartest or the richest or the most successful person in the room, but you can be the kindest.” --Gareth L. Powell
THE GOOD NEWS
End of an era
Spirit Airlines ceased operations last Saturday after more than three decades in business. The budget carrier struggled to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and declared bankruptcy in 2024 and 2025. But in the end, it was the soaring cost of jet fuel due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that derailed the carrier’s ability to continue flying.
After its final flight from Detroit to Dallas, Spirit canceled all remaining trips for thousands of passengers and laid off roughly 17,000 employees.
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In response to the sudden closure, other airlines stepped in to help Spirit customers by providing rescue flights and fares. JetBlue offered $99 one-way tickets to any stranded passenger who could show proof that they were booked on a Spirit flight before May 6. American Airlines presented passengers with similar discounts and no expiration date. Delta, Southwest and United launched one-way flights for Spirit travelers that cost about $200.
As for Spirit pilots, flight attendants and other employees, most of the major carriers extended access to spare jump seats so they could return home. American is setting up recruiting events, and JetBlue plans to offer interview opportunities for qualified Spirit team members. Several airlines have also vowed to provide preferential treatment to former Spirit employees.
In such difficult moments, a bit of kindness can make one’s plight more bearable. In Dallas, an American Airlines employee shared well-wishes with recently laid-off Spirit employees. At Chicago O’Hare International Airport, air traffic control staff told a Spirit pilot how much they had enjoyed working together.
Then there was the story of Spirit Captain Jon Jackson, who was supposed to fly his final flight on May 2 before retiring. Alas, the airline shuttered before he could enter the cockpit one last time.
When Jackson’s son, Chris, who is a first officer for Southwest Airlines, heard the news, he and his fellow crew members decided to help. They offered Jackson a ride aboard their plane and then contacted the Southwest dispatcher to sereptitiously prepare a proper send-off.
Upon arrival in Maryland, the Baltimore Airport Fire & Rescue team performed a water cannon salute as the plane touched down. Then, when Jackson walked through the door to the terminal, the Baltimore Ground Operations Team applauded and gave him a bottle of champagne.
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Speaking of kindness...
Did you know there’s an entire convention dedicated to the topic?
The inaugural k20 Kindness Without Borders Summit will be held next weekend in Fort Myers, Fla. The goal of the two-day event is to explore how kindness can drive systemic change.
The summit plans to hold panel discussions on:
kindness at the local and global levels
kindness to the planet
kindness in schools
kindness in athletics
kindness in business
kindness in healthcare
kindness in leadership
The guest speaker list is both extensive and impressive, and includes: Mark Doughty, founder of the Global Kindness Institute; Dr. Donna Dwiggens, CEO of Kindr Foundation; Jaclyn Lindsey, CEO of Kindness.org; Nirmala Mehendale-Peters, founder trustee of Kindness Unlimited; and Michael Neece, president of Our Future Is Kind.
There will also be a screening of the film, “The Power of Small,” which chronicles six individuals who receive significant resources to promote acts of kindness and then reveals what happened next. Afterward, Peter Samuelson, the film’s producer, and other guests will take part in a discussion.
Francesca Donlan, one of the k20 Kindness Summit co-founders, previously taught “The Kindness Effect: The Science and Research Around Kindness,” the first-ever kindness class at Florida Gulf Coast University. She has real hope that this summit can make a difference.
“We are a divided country,” Donlan said. “That is a fact. But kindness doesn’t have a camp. It is a uniter and not a divider.”
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What happened when Tallulah met Ziggy Stardust
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THIS WEEK IN (POSITIVE) HISTORY
On May 7, 1966, the Mamas & Papas’ song “Monday Monday” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On May 8, 1886, pharmacist and inventor Dr. John S. Pemberton sold the first Coca-Cola at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Ga. His bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, coined the drink’s name.
On May 9, 1994, South Africa’s newly-elected parliament chose Nelson Mandela to be the country’s first Black president.
On May 10, 1962, Marvel Comics released the first issue of “The Incredible Hulk.”
On May 11, 1981, the musical “Cats” premiered.
On May 12, 1955, Sam “Toothpick” Jones became the first African American baseball player to pitch a no-hitter. That day, his team, the Chicago Cubs, defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0.
On May 13, 1992, three astronauts simultaneously walked in space for the first time.
THIS WEEK’S FUN HOLIDAYS
May 7 is National Roast Leg of Lamb Day, Love’s Baby Soft Day and Make a Book Day
May 8 is World Donkey Day, World Red Cross Day, National Coconut Cream Pie Day, National Give Someone a Cupcake Day, National Have a Coke Day, National Night Shift Workers Day (Woot!), National Student Nurse Day and White Lotus Day
May 9 is World Migratory Bird Day, National Alphabet Magnet Day, National Butterscotch Brownie Day, National Lost Sock Memorial Day, National Sleepover Day, Hooray for Buttons Day and Peter Pan Day
May 10 is National Golf Day, National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, National Public Gardens Day, National Shrimp Day, National Small Business Day and Mother’s Day
May 11 is World Belly Dance Day, World Fair Trade Day, National Archery Day, National Babysitter Day, National Mini Golf Day, National Dog Moms Day, National Twilight Zone Day, National Windmill Day and Hostess Cupcake Day
May 12 is International Nurses Day, International Day of Plant Health, World Topiary Day, National Limerick Day and National Nutty Fudge Day
May 13 is International Hummus Day, National Apple Pie Day, National Crouton Day, National Frog Jumping Day, National Fruit Cocktail Day, National Leprechaun Day, Top Gun Day and Tulip Day
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
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HOW TO SPREAD JOY/KINDNESS
* Offer a ride to a friend or family member in need.
* Send a “get well” card or a bouquet of flowers.
* Tell those closest to you how much you love them.
RECOMMENDED SUBSTACK
MOMENT OF GRATITUDE
Thanks to Madeline Bowen, Unsplash, Gareth L. Powell, The Associated Press, Reuters, Apple News, Rach in the City, TikTok, JetBlue, Delta, CBS News, Southwest Airlines, Instagram, The Guardian, the Fort Myers News-Press & the Naples Daily News, k20 Kindness Without Borders, Kindness.org, T.C. Johnstone, YouTube, The Dodo, The Moonlight Reader Society, History.com, This Day in History, Britannica, Time and Date, On This Day, the Library of Congress, IMDb, This Day in Music, National Today, National Day Calendar, Holidays Calendar, American Forests, the Kindness Boomerang Newsletter, Emily Charlotte Powell, While I Was Drawing, Counting Beans, Canva and Deposit Photos for art and story suggestions. Note: Generative AI was not used during the ideation, creation or publication of this newsletter.
Also… Congratulations to Shelly A., whose name was randomly selected in our monthly giveaway for paid subscribers. The May prize: Cat affirmation cards.
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