# Eye shades for a stranger at Changi

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-changi-airport-eyeshades
- Themes: kindness, travel, generosity
- Life situations: airports, helping strangers

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Between flights at Changi he gives airline eye shades to an exhausted Western woman he does not know; her smile stays with him.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

changy airport once and I saw this poor Western lady trying to get some rest I know what it's like when you've been over an all night flight and you know feel really terrible you just want to get a few hours of sleep before you get your connecting flight and know she was on some sort of couch trying to get some shut ey you know moving all over the place and I had uh I ey Shades you know from the air aircraft and I got out the eye shades she didn't know me I didn't know her I said have some eye shades ma'am

## Teaching point

A tiny gift to a stranger can outlast the flight.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Between flights at Changi, Ajahn Brahm saw an exhausted stranger tossing on a couch and handed her his airline eye shades. Her grateful smile still makes him happy. It cost him nothing. Small kindnesses to strangers feel wonderful. Keep something small in your bag to give away.

## Source

- [Seeing the goodness in the world | Ajahn Brahm | 28-11-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJ6aCrkgXY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:33 to 27:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJ6aCrkgXY&t=1593s