"Love ya, yeah, yeah, yeah!"

I had never traveled via public transportation around any major holiday, except for my recent train ride to Connecticut on Thanksgiving Day - when I waited in the ticket line for 45 minutes, and the activity of Grand Central Station lived up to the chaos its name implies. But, other than family car rides up Interstate 65 to Decatur or Tennessee, or the short hop on Interstate 59 from Tuscaloosa to Hoover, my travels home for holidays had never really been what I would classify as a "travel", just a mere shifting around in the state of Alabama.

This year though, as the Christmas holidays approached, I excitedly swapped travel dates with other New York friends also counting the days until they were at home. Some only got short four or five day vacations before heading back to the city for work. I was one of the lucky ones - "Yep, nine whole days at home!" I'd proudly announce, and then bask in the glow of thoughts of warm Alabama and my parents house festive with Mama's many Christmas decorations.

I flew home on Friday, 12/21 - a day deemed the busiest travel day of the year. I was fully braced for hassle after hassle - from hailing an available cab out of the city to gridlock on the streets and the airport security line. But everything was smooth sailing - I even left the apartment Friday morning on time (there's a first time for everything!)

At the airport, one young boy stood out in the midst of all the pets, families and luggage. He skipped, marched and sang his way in circles all over the waiting area, fully unaware that a parade of bands, floats and clowns was not following behind him, only his weary father scrambling to keep up. Finally, the father said, "Want to listen to the Beatles?" The little boy's legs immediately folded under him, and he plopped in front of a laptop computer. I laughed to myself knowing the father was surely relieved, and then I wondered if the boy would be listening to THE Beatles or if there was some new cartoon called the "Beetles," like the "Wiggles." I didn't really care what it was that calmed the little boy, I was just glad to stretch my legs out without fear of being trampled.

A while later, settled into my seat in the plane, I heard a little voice shout into the completely quiet cabin, "Love ya, yeah, yeah, yeah! Love ya, yeah, yeah, yeah!"

The words from that little voice answered my question, and they certainly brightened the faces of many tired travelers!