An act of love is better than a Lyft
DEAR AMY >> My nephew recently reported that no, he wouldn’t pick up his 77-yearold mother from the airport. “Besides,” he said, “It’s easier to get a taxi, Uber or Lyft.” To that remark, I say: “Easier for whom?”
Visiting your loved ones means packing, schlepping, going through security, plus crowds and possible delays — not to mention the expense.
So is it too much to expect that the person you’re going to visit might make the trek to the airport to pick you up?
Let me put it this way. After an arduous journey, seeing a familiar, loving face and then getting a big hug means your journey is over. Whew!
Climbing into even the nicest hired car means you’re still traveling — sitting in the back of a car, alone, on one more leg of your journey.
Nowadays it’s common to outsource everything. Let’s not outsource love and compassion.
— Disappointed Aunt
DEAR AUNT >> Picking someone up (or taking them to) the airport is such a signal of intimacy that it has entered popular culture. From “When Harry Met Sally” to “Seinfeld,” the act of transporting a person to or from the airport shows that you care. A lot.
I’m reminded of those wonderful opening and closing scenes in the movie “Love Actually,” consisting of an extended montage of people greeting one another at an airport terminal and — hugging their hearts out.
When I travel, I fly in and out of an airport serving a nearby Army base (hello, 10th Mountain Division!).
You want a scene that will stop you in your tracks? Watch a servicemember returning home after a deployment.
I’m publishing your thoughtful letter as a public service to farflung families everywhere.
Dude. Meet your mom at the airport! It’s a beautiful act of love.
DEAR AMY >> “Happily Single,” and many other people, keep wondering about how to respond to intrusive personal questions.
What usually works for me is a friendly, direct smile along with a change of subject and a non-intrusive question of my own.
For example, “Yeesh, this rain. I practically had to swim here. When is it supposed to let up?”
Nosy people get the message, no one’s feelings are hurt, everyone saves face, and the conversation moves along. — Nailed It
DEAR NAILED IT >> While I suggested a technique of reframing the original question and tossing it back toward the person who asked it, I very much appreciate your suggestion, which is a version of, “Wow, how about them Cubs this year? I see they finally got a shortstop; you think they’ll turn it around next season?”