I, Bethany, was on a two-hour flight with my five-year-old daughter, Ella. She was quietly watching cartoons on her iPad when a boy across the aisle began throwing a tantrum. His mom, “Entitled Mom,” leaned over and asked me to put the iPad away since her son wasn’t allowed screen time. I refused, saying Ella needed it to stay calm.

As the tantrums worsened, Entitled Mom grew frustrated and “accidentally” knocked Ella’s iPad off the tray, shattering the screen. My daughter was devastated, but the situation soon escalated for Entitled Mom. Her son’s tantrum peaked, and he knocked over her coffee, spilling it all over her passport.

She tried to salvage it, but it was ruined beyond repair. A flight attendant informed her that traveling internationally with a damaged passport could lead to serious issues. Entitled Mom panicked, realizing they would miss their connecting flight to Paris and have to reschedule their trip entirely.

Meanwhile, Ella, now reading a storybook, had already forgotten about the iPad. We disembarked the plane with plans for cupcakes and ice cream, while Entitled Mom frantically tried to fix her soggy passport.

In the end, while Ella’s iPad was ruined, karma had a way of balancing things out. Entitled Mom lost something far more valuable than a tablet.

Sometimes, the best lessons come from the worst experiences, and this chaotic flight definitely left me with a story to tell!