Missing His Graduation

A five-year-old named Xavier was excited about his kindergarten graduation this year. However, Xavier and his mom were flying from Florida to Puerto Rico to visit family on the big day, and he had to miss it. He was bummed, but the airline they were flying was ready to celebrate him instead.

In a video posted to TikTok that has since gone viral, Frontier Airlines makes an announcement to the passengers explaining Xavier’s situation. Xavier had filled some of them in on his circumstances, and they decided to do something special for him 30 minutes before landing.

“He is missing his graduation, his kindergarten graduation today,” the flight attendant says. “And because he chose to fly Frontier instead, we are giving him his graduation ceremony on this flight.”

The passengers then all look toward the back of the plane, where Xavier is dressed in a red cap and gown. Pomp and Circumstance plays over the PA system as he walks down the aisle to the applause of the passengers. Some even give him high-fives on the way down.

A Lasting Memory

In the video, the kid grins, and you can tell he’s excited and feels special. It was a proud moment for his mom, Janeiry Rivas, who follows him in the video with her phone.

"He was just beyond excited, like his face lit up," Rivas, told Good Morning America. "He was super, super excited, getting high fives from people and getting cheered on.”

According to Rivas, Xavier had to miss the graduation because she was the maid of honor at her cousin’s wedding. When she originally agreed, she didn’t know the ceremony would be that day, and as a single mom, she felt conflicted about missing it.

“I was distraught, I was crying, I felt like I was going to scar him for life, that he was going to need therapy,” she added to the outlet. “As a parent you live with the guilt, no matter what you do, you worry about how it affects it.”

Celebrating the Moments

After everyone celebrated Xavier, Rivas says she no longer felt guilty. She added that people tend to get on the internet and judge others, but at the end of the day, people don’t always know the whole situation or story.

“Just be kind, any opportunity that you get because you never know what a person is going through,” she added.

It’s an excellent reminder for all of us to lead with kindness in our own lives and to remember to celebrate the small moments. These flight attendants didn’t have to do what they did for this boy, but in doing so, they brightened his day and the day of a mom dealing with parental guilt.

If they can do it, we can also lead with kindness and celebrate others in life. After all, these little moments can make a big difference, and that alone is always worth celebrating.