As much as we might need it, and regardless of our preparation, it’s not easy to sleep during a flight. So, when we have family members or friends traveling with us, who make it more comfortable, we have to be grateful. After all, it’s one of the nicest things another person can do for us. Recently, a wholesome picture went viral that showed a father helping her daughter sleep during a flight. However, it seems like many on the internet could only see it as an act that could have been carried out better.

u/therra123, a user on Reddit, posted a heartwarming picture to the subreddit r/MadeMeSmile. It showed a father and a daughter traveling on an airplane. The daughter is seated in the seat directly in front of the father. In the photo, the daughter is all curled up in her seat along the aisle. However, she had fallen asleep in an awkward position. Her head was not leaning on the chair’s back or even the armrest. Somehow, it had extended past her seat. So the father held it in his hand and supported it while the daughter slept peacefully.

One Of The Nicest Sleep During Flight

Unfortunately, the father’s support meant that his posture had to be very uncomfortable. He had to extend his arm and then curl it around the seat in front to properly cradle the daughter’s head. Of course, there could have been a better solution. However, at the moment, just the act is one of the nicest we will probably ever encounter. The user captioned the picture: “This man kept his hand in this position for 45 minutes so his daughter could sleep well.” Take a look at the picture, and you should understand how tough it is to maintain that posture for that long:

However, despite the “wholesome moment” tag, and the gesture being heartfelt and lovely, several Redditors just had to be cynical. Their comments took on a more analytical and pragmatic turn, rather than simply expressing their delight. Of course, the picture became viral with several thousand comments and more than 600,000 upvotes regardless of the cynical few comments. The examples include this one: “I feel like…I feel like there’s a better way.”

A second comment went: “Do you not have your towel? A towel is the most important thing you can carry.” A third one judged further: “Shows a distinct lack of creative problem-solving. 45 minutes you say and you couldn’t think of a practical solution. Huh!” Another went: “Seriously. Roll up a hoodie jacket and bam! Insta-pillow. Or here’s a crazy thought: ask a flight attendant for a blanket and a pillow.” However, there were positive comments too, like: “Probably, but when my son falls asleep with his face in my hand I literally melt inside and could just stare at him for hours.” A second supported it: “Granted, he’s a toddler but still, I don’t think that feeling will ever fade.”

There Is A Problem With The Post

Regardless of what feeling the picture elicits in you, there is, however, a fundamental problem with the picture. It is a fact that it is an invasion of privacy. The condemnation of the original poster was also rampant among the comments. One comment read: “Why are we ok taking photos of strangers and posting it online? They’re people, not objects.” Another was more sarcastic about it: “Awww so heartwarming! I love photographing strangers and their kids in public without their consent!!!”

To be honest, we don’t think that the pair would have minded having the picture shared since it does not show their faces. However, it still would have been best to have their consent. As for the act itself, it is extremely heartwarming and wholesome. Sure, it could have been handled better, but it’s the intent that matters here, more than how it was carried out. Hopefully, the daughter had a restful sleep during the flight