A stranger let me rest my head on his shoulder during a grieving flight

A long-haul flight in economy is never appealing, but this one felt especially tough. I was leaving California after the death of my father to return to Australia, where I live. I was exhausted, emotional and prone to bursting into tears. It was always hard leaving my birthplace, friends and family behind, and this time I was also contending with the loss of my beloved dad.

I was desperately hoping I might have a spare seat next to me so I could get some sleep, or at least a little privacy. There would be no such luck: when I checked in, the desk staff told me the flight was completely full and I was in the very last row. Mine was the aisle seat, right beside the toilet and the galley — the busiest, most public place on the plane, when what I really needed was peace.

When I boarded and saw my seat, I really fell apart. Next to me was a very large, bodybuilder-type guy who was already spreading into my seat, and I immediately burst into tears. "Screw this!" I thought.

Australia, California

long flight, economy class, grieving, california, australia, father died, aisle seat, last row, seatmate, airplane galley