To the passenger in seat 41A

I suspect that, as you approached row 41 while boarding your flight today, you may have had a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You might have even go so far as to murmur about your rotten luck. No, you eyes did not deceive you, there were two kids are already sitting in your row, no parent in sight! How could this be!

I hope that as the flight finished boarding and finally took off that you came to realize that these two children are seasoned travelers and have been on flights much longer than this short hop from Atlanta to Boston. They are well-versed and practiced on the etiquette and rules of flying, probably knowing more about how the seats work, how to navigate the in-flight entertainment, and where and when to put their things away than many others with whom you have shared a row of seats with in the past. They know not to kick seats, not to open and close the tray tables over and over, and to keep to their seats. They know how to entertain themselves for the short two and a half hours.

I hope that my children proved that children can be good flight companions. Otherwise, I apologize that my choice to sit away from my kids on this flight (yes, I was there 14 rows up from you in a exit row seat with lots of legroom and no kids) was not quite the success and step towards independence for my kids as I had hoped it would be.