Barbara Jane🇨🇦🇺🇦

This past August, we were flying cross‑country with our 8‑month‑old son after his sixth round of chemo. His stomach hurt, his little body was exhausted, and he kept letting out that soft, broken whine babies make when they’re uncomfortable but trying so hard to settle. Not screaming. Not throwing a fit. Just hurting in the only way he knew how. In front of us was a family taking their daughter to SMU’s freshman welcome week. Their biggest stress was how she was going to fit all her clothes in her dorm room — and she was the one who kept turning around. Every few minutes, this privileged freshman would glare at my wife like our son was ruining her trip and her wardrobe planning. It lasted maybe 30 minutes before he fell asleep. But the way those looks made my wife feel… man. I’ll be honest — I was praying she got a nightmare roommate who “borrowed” every outfit she brought. That flight reminded me of something important: you never know what that baby is going through, you never know what those parents are carrying, and you never know what that tiny cry is coming from. So yeah, maybe a baby whining on a plane is annoying. But sometimes that sound is coming from a kid fighting battles you can’t see — and parents doing everything they can just to make it through the day. A little grace goes a long way.