One first-time flyer received a special souvenir on a recent family vacation.
On her way back to Newark International Airport from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on Jan. 6, Kelly Levine, who goes by @kellyryan49 on TikTok, tells PEOPLE she noticed her 5-month-old daughter Romey peeking at the woman sitting next to them crocheting. “She was just staring at her blankly and amazed at the speed of her hands,” says Kelly.
The woman and Kelly, 32, exchanged a few glances. Eventually the two struck up a conversation. She learned that her seatmate, Meegan Rubin, recognized Kelly because they happened to be on the same flight en route to Mexico.
During the trip, Kelly and Rubin continued to talk back and forth mostly about Romey, who was constantly keeping an eye on Rubin’s boat. “It kept her entertained for hours on the flight, just watching her,” says Kelly. “She was so kind. She said how good Romey was and how beautiful she was.”
Kelly Levine with her husband Jake and daughter Romey on the plane.
Courtesy of Kelly Levine
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While in the air, Kelly and her husband, Jake, 32, who live in Hoboken, New Jersey, also noticed Rubin working feverishly on her crochet project. They never asked what she did, but they say they never in a million years thought it would be for them.
When the plane landed, Kelly says Rubin turned to her and simply said, “OK, I’m done.” Rubin handed her a yellow, knitted hat just big enough for Romey. “I just couldn’t help myself. She’s so good,” Kelly says of Rubin telling her his reasons for the gift.
“It turns out she made and crocheted this hat for Romey in the last maybe two hours of the flight without us knowing,” says Kelly. “It was more than kind and such a shock. Everyone around us stood up and noticed just this wonderful meeting with a stranger. It was just an amazing moment.”
Going into the trip, Kelly explains that she was nervous about flying with her daughter for the first time. She adds that she is not a good flyer herself.
“It’s just nerve-wracking to get on a flight,” she explains. “You don’t know who you’re going to be sitting next to, if they’re going to get mad if the baby acts up or if they start needing me to get up or walk around the plane. All those things go through your head as a parent.”
He continues, “And so when you don’t have any of that, but you also have a wife who is so nice and out of the goodness of her own heart, you definitely put me and my husband at ease. It’s also definitely released that I’ll be more open to traveling with my baby in the future.”
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Meegan Rubin photographs a baby hat knitting a hat on her way back from Mexico.
Courtesy of Kelly Levine
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After the flight, Kelly shared a special moment on TikTok that has now gone viral with 6.8 million views. She posted it in hopes of reminding people that you never know what the person next to you is going through. “Doing something nice for no reason other than just to be kind is something everyone can use,” she says.
She also adds that she and Rubin, who has a small crochet business called @crochetobey, have stayed in touch on social media. On January 8, Rubin also took to Instagram to share the heartwarming encounter.
“Made some cool new friends on the flight home from Mexico last weekend,” Rubin wrote on her post. “Mom @kellyluc and dad @instajake63 were such sweet parents as they took turns caring for their 5-month-old baby girl Romey. “While the other children were crying and fussing, little Romey remained calm, cool and collected as she gazed at the crochet 🧶 work in action. (My heart melted) she was adorable and deserves a custom cap!!! Thanks to Kelly and Jake for sharing this story. The more we give, the more we receive!!!”
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Source: HIS Education