Just Another Day
It was an otherwise normal day in February for Florida resident Ivelise Hernandez. With her bags all packed, she made her way to the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport, expecting to go through all the routine checks and queues smoothly. In a few hours, she would be on a flight to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ivelise was accompanied by her boyfriend, Rico Bankston. At the airport, all seemed pretty normal--that is until they caught wind of something happening at security check. She had no idea then, but this incident would make an impact on Ivelise’s life forever.
Security Check Mishap
Ivelise and Rico were both familiar with the waiting time that normally came with flying. Rico stayed with his girlfriend right up to the security line. Before long, the couple noticed it was taking longer than usual.
One of the passengers ahead of Ivelise, a man, was attempting to put a wrapped package through the metal detector and he had been stopped and taken aside for questioning. What could they be arguing about and why was it holding the line?
Mounting Curiosity
Passengers looked on as airport security questioned the man, who seemed to be in possession of a restricted item.
As the man spoke with the authorities and grew noticeably tense, onlookers, including Ivelise and Rico, could not help but wonder - why was the man so adamant on taking the package? What could be inside it?
Tight Measures
Airport security measures have always been tight, but ever since the events of September 11, the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) in the United States have been imposing strict guidelines, including those for permissible carry-on items on flights.
Small and seemingly harmless items carried by passengers, such as toothpaste, are sometimes required by the TSA to be thrown out in order to satisfy certain regulations, such as allowable amounts of liquids on flights. But what the man held was not just any package.
An Important Package
It’s not uncommon for passengers to find themselves shocked after learning what they can’t take on flights. It seemed, for Ivelise, that the man was just a typical case. But with the man protectively pleading for the package, and with tensions starting to run high, it became clear to Ivelise that he was holding something very special.
Her concern further grew as she heard the man bargain for the package to be sent to the lost and found instead. However, he was refused - the package had to be thrown out. It was obviously important to the man - what was going to happen next?
Compromises
The argument escalated and the man bargained as best as he could, but it was obvious that the TSA wasn’t going to yield. With lines forming and more disgruntled passengers taking notice, it was obvious they had to work it out sooner rather than later.
Eventually, the man turned around, walked to the nearest trash bin, and tearfully discarded the package. Troubled by the heartbreaking scene, Ivelise knew that something had to be done.
Taking It Into Her Own Hands
As the man finally passed through airport security and boarded his flight, it was also time for Ivelise to say goodbye to Rico, who had stayed by her side throughout--but not before making a special (and odd request).
Before it was her turn to go through security check, Ivelise decided it was time to take the situation into her own hands. She gave Rico a hug and a kiss goodbye, and asked him to go rummage through the trash bin and try to discover what the crying man’s package was.
A Special Task
Rico watched as Ivelise went on a routine check and waved goodbye. He now had a task ahead of him.
Because Rico wasn’t required to go through the security check himself, he had the perfect opportunity to retrieve the package. If it hadn’t been sent for further screening, that meant it wasn’t enough of a safety risk--which meant he could take it unscathed by the TSA. Rico swiftly secured the package and then drove home to Tampa with it in tow. What would he uncover?
Restless Flight
All throughout her flight, Ivelise was restless. She couldn’t get over how the man had been treated at the airport and wondered what the package could have contained for him to merit such treatment.
Right when she landed, Ivelise gave Rico a call. When he told her what the package contained, a plan was already formulating in her mind.
What’s Inside
Rico soon discovered what lies inside the package. His reaction was that of puzzlement--it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. Why all the fuss?
The package contained a snowglobe. It was a typical trinket, a harmless keepsake. Rico got a closer look to try and understand why it had caused such a ruckus at the airport. And once he flipped the snowglobe over and saw it in detail, he did.
More Than Meets The Eye
What seemed like an ordinary trinket was actually a treasure. It wasn’t just a typical snowglobe that you could purchase at a store. It was specially made for someone.
When wound, the snowglobe played “Greensleeves”. It also held two pictures inside - one of an elderly couple, and one of a little girl. Inscribed on the snowglobe: “We love you Katie. Nana and Papa 1/25/16”. Instantly, Ivelise and Rico knew what they had to do next.
A New Mission
Ivelise and Rico set out on a mission. Once Ivelise was home from her Pittsburgh trip, they had would do everything they could to get it back to its owner.
There was no chance they were letting this opportunity pass--the item clearly meant a lot to the man who had cried at the airport when it was taken away, and judging from the details in the snowglobe itself, it could mean a lot to someone else in the family too. The couple had a huge task ahead of them. But where to start?
Searching For Leads
No matter how much Ivelise and Rico wanted to return the snowglobe to whom it belonged, the fact remained: they had no leads at all.
All they had were the names inscribed on the snowglobe, the pictures, and the knowledge that the man carrying it was flying from St. Pete-Clearwater Airport on that particular day in February. It was a mountain of a mystery and they had to think of an innovative way to solve it.
Taking To Social Media
Ivelise took to social media and wrote a post on the incident. She described the snowglobe in the most detailed way possible and included pictures. She hoped that her friends would help her spread the message and find its way to the owners.
With the few things they knew about the item, the couple felt helpless that this was the only thing they could do. All that was left was to sit and wait. It would have been that easy, except for one problem.
Small Ripples
Ivelise’s network wasn’t the biggest. It was mostly average--and she knew it even while she was creating the post. At the very least, she and Rico knew the odds--but were still hoping for a miracle.
Ivelise and Rico were realistic in terms of the post’s reach. They assumed it would get shared around 200 times, tops. But the next events would prove them completely wrong.
Going Viral
The post, as it happened, turned viral. It seemed that Ivelise and Rico were both incredibly unprepared for the power of the Internet. The post was shared multiple times over and over and soon shot through the web at an unbelievable speed.
Would it reach the family? With 48,000 shares just within 7 days, Ivelise and Rico certainly hoped so! Now, they just had to wait.
Bigger Strides
As the post got shared more and more times, Ivelise and Rico grew hopeful. It was only a matter of time before someone would come forward with a way to connect them with the owner of the snowglobe.
Soon enough, someone did. Only there was a bit of a hurdle--they didn’t know the owner. They didn’t know the man from the airport. But they did have something helpful--a way to finally push Ivelise and Rico’s mission forward.
The Special Item
The person who came forward was an employee from a store called Things Remembered. No, she wasn’t personally involved in the purchase of the snowglobe, nor able to give them information about the buyers.
However, the employee did have a photographic memory. And she just happened to be able to recall the specific model of the snowglobe. This helped the search tremendously--soon, she had forwarded an image of the snowglobe to their Ohio headquarters to see if they could identify this specific order. Ivelise had no idea, but this would make a world of a difference in trying to get the snowglobe home.
Lost And Found
What came from the communications with the Things Remembered headquarters was a single name: Linda Modry.
Finally--this was the key to their mystery. It turned out that Linda Modry had ordered the snowglobe as a gift for her five-year-old granddaughter. Her father, Michael, was supposed to deliver the gift to her himself. But then, Michael--who turned out to be the man from the airport--never got to give Katie her gift. Instead, it was chucked in the trash. That is, until Ivelise and Rico came to the rescue. Katie had been distraught when she didn’t receive the gift, but what would happen next would change everything.
A Sense Of Direction
Now that Ivelise and Rico had a name--thanks to the employee from Things Remembered--they could decide on a specific direction to go. With things happening so quickly, they began to feel overwhelmed.
They were carrying the weight of delivering a special gift back to its rightful owner--a sweet little girl who was dearly loved by her grandparents. They had to get it home. They only had to figure out how. As it turns out, it would be much easier than they expected.
Neighbors
Indeed, the Facebook campaign was a huge success. The more it got shared, the more people learned about the power of the kindness of strangers. And more importantly, it led them to Linda Modry.
Little did Ivelise and Rico know that this journey to bring the snowglobe home had one more twist waiting for them--Linda Modry lived right in their area!
The Missing Piece
All that was left was for Ivelise and Linda to meet face to face. Things Remembered, with permission, of course, provided Linda’s number so that Ivelise could finally get in touch with her.
Around this time, the story was getting a lot of attention. It even found its way to the local news’ radars. As the reunion grew close, it was clear that so many people were invested and anticipating it. But no one was more excited than Ivelise. And she was just about to find out just how great of an impact she had made.
The Reunion
On the day of the meeting, there was a Florida rainstorm. But it didn’t matter--Linda Modry raced to Ivelise’s home and knocked on her door.
With news teams covering the meeting, the excitement mounted. Everyone was waiting for this moment--the satisfying end to an amazing journey, which brought two strangers together amid crazy odds. Ivelise’s simple act of kindness had made a profound mark. Now, Linda was waiting at her door, not sure what to expect.
Tears Of Joy
Right from the moment Ivelise swung her door open and welcomed her guest, she was filled with immense joy. And it was the same for Linda. She handed Ivelise a bouquet of flowers and almost instantly, they fell into a warm, tight embrace.
They were both so happy to finally meet each other. Ivelise was glad to give back the snowglobe and Linda was overjoyed to meet the kind stranger who made sure her granddaughter Katie would receive her gift. As it turns out, it was more special than Ivelise could have ever imagined.
Birthday present
This snowglobe was no ordinary snowglobe. Its inscription was hard to replicate, sure. But the timing was more important--it had been intended as a birthday gift.
Surely, if Ivelise and Rico had not decided to do something about the incident at the airport, Katie’s birthday would forever have been a sad and disappointing memory for the family. Linda was incredibly thankful to have it back. And there was something even more special about the snowglobe: the date that was engraved.
Gratitude
Linda jumped into Ivelise’s arms and thanked her for her extraordinary kindness. This treasure meant a lot to her family, and she knew that no matter how much she thanked Ivelise, it couldn’t convey just how grateful they were.
So she figured she would let someone else tell Ivelise. She picked up her phone and dialled a number. Ivelise stood at her side, waiting with bated breaths.
The Man Who Started It All
At the other end of the line was no other than Michael, the man whom Ivelise and Rico saw at the airport. Michael had been visiting his parents in Florida. He had taken the package on his way home to Ohio to give to his daughter, their beloved Katie.
As they told Ivelise, her timing couldn’t have been better.
Commemoration
January 25th, the date that was engraved on the snowglobe bears a special meaning to the family. It wasn’t the date of Katie’s birth but the date of her adoption--and as such, marked the beginning of her life as a part of the family.
The snowglobe was a way for her grandparents to affirm her place in the family and to remind her just how much she was loved. Ivelise took the phone. What would the family tell her?
Happy Ending
Michael on the other line was waiting for a chance to thank Ivelise and Rico. But it wasn’t just him who was ready to talk to her--Katie was also listening in and jumping with excitement.
When Linda finally told her that Ivelise had helped retrieve her special new snowglobe, Katie could barely contain her joy--and Ivelise heard it right through the other line! It was certainly overwhelming for Ivelise to see the effect of what she had done.
The Right Thing To Do
What Ivelise did turned out to be a powerful deed that deeply connected people--but for her, it was the only logical, natural thing to do. She hoped that people who would end up in a similar situation would do the same--the right thing.
But for Linda, it was an extraordinary act. “People are basically really good, and she’s just exceptional,” she said of Ivelise. Linda now decided to pack the snowglobe more carefully and securely in her checked luggage before bringing it back to Katie in Ohio.
More Ripples
The story of Katie Modry’s snowglobe became a widely shared one, especially after landing on the Facebook page, Love What Matters.
Ivelise was praised for her kindness and courage, and she continued to receive heartwarming words of encouragement from people all around the world. The story really shows just how far one simple act of kindness can go. Ivelise hoped it would inspire others on their own.
32. Going Through The Airport
It turns out that Katie Modry’s snowglobe had been disallowed because it was larger than a tennis ball. According to the TSA’s Lisa Farbstein, a snowglobe would only be allowed on a passenger’s carry-on luggage if it was no bigger in size than a tennis ball.
The TSA certainly has some strange regulations--you won’t believe how many items are on the list!
Other Items
Snowglobes are banned because they contain liquid and gas. Airports are very strict about liquids--most need to come under 100 ML. However, there are other strange things that might be disallowed on a plane: sporting equipment, tents, shoe insoles, fishing rods… and a whole lot more!
Some art and dye materials are not allowed because of the chemicals they might contain. Helium balloons, similarly, are a no-go. Here’s some kooky trivia: did you know sausages and cheeses could get stopped at the airport because they are sometimes difficult to distinguish from bombs? Crazy, right? However, with developing technology, we might no longer need to remove liquids from bags. New CT machines could check liquids without having to be taken out.
Valuable Items And Airport Policies
Airports enforce some of the strictest regulations in the world, and for good reason. While it’s all in everyone’s best interest, there are times when these policies force us to leave behind even the most valuable items, like in Katie Modry’s snowglobe story.
What did you think about the story? What do you think about airport security regulations? Has this happened to you or to anybody you know?