University of Central Florida alumnus Lauren Brown, years apart from friends made prior to her time at UCF, recognized a pair of faces at the start of a plane ride while attending to the JetBlue flight – two of her close friends from high school.
Lauren finished boarding procedures and quickly caught up with Mallory Bates and Bobby Walton to find out the high school sweethearts recently became engaged. The former Lake Mary High School students quietly shared life up until now before the plane ride moved into the night.
Unknown to Bates and Walton at the time, Lauren planned to make their ride home with an announcement to the plane thirty minutes into the flight and a favor to ask: if anyone would be willing to participate in an activity and write down marriage advice for the engaged couple.
Believing only a few notes would be passed, Bates, a UCF College of Education alumnus, would receive dozens of notes of kindness and love stories from anonymous flyers ranging in age, a 43-year marriage among them.
“We thought maybe a few people here and there would maybe participate,” Bates said.
“By the end of the flight, we received over 50 napkins filled with beautiful pieces of advice and love stories (people were even asking if we could practice walking down the aisle in the plane).”
“The world just keeps on getting smaller.”
From quick notes for the groom-to-be to thought-out messages for both, all written on spare napkin, Bates and Walton soon had a collection of memories.
“Thank you, Lauren Brown, for giving us a memory and experience that we will cherish forever. We hope to fly again with you soon❤️,” Bates finished.
Bates posted the experience on Facebook to friends and family and had no shortage of support.
“I decided to have some fun and it turned out to be a success!,” Lauren said to Knight News. “It was a good reminder for me though to always be kind and have fun. Our job isn’t always easy as flight attendants so its times like these that inspire me to always be on my “A+” game. Love will always win!”
