Unexpected Pleasures

until you’ve done it, you can never understand the feeling of warmth you get when you brighten someone’s day just a little bit with a cheerful smile or friendly "hello!" or "thank you!" (depending, of course on the situation 🙂 

An Example:

I went to PP a few days ago to pick up my "baby-be-gones" as one of my old coworkers fondly referred to them.  As I walked in, I noticed two young men, about my age or a year older, sitting in the two chairs closest to the door.  They were huddled together over a clipboard (which you only get if you’re filling out intake paperwork), but kept glancing up as though they fully expected to have to take advantage of their location and make a dash out the door.  They spoke very quietly so that no one in the nearly-empty waiting room could hear their conversation.  The one young man with the clipboard finally got up and handed it through the window, then darted back to his seat to huddle close to his … boyfriend? probably … again speaking in hushed tones.
My name was called; after I took care of payment and things, I wished the nurse a Merry Christmas and turned to leave.  Before I reached the door, I looked straight at the two young men, met their eyes and said "Merry Christmas, fellas..!"
It took them a minute to realize I was talking to them – they looked up with wide eyes, then the one who had gotten up responded with a soft, surprised "Thank you – you too!" and the beginnings of a smile.  I grinned back and left before the attention could begin to embarrass them, but as I walked through the cold down the sidewalk, the pleasantly surprised looks and the return of the wishes warmed me better than my coat.

I went out to finish my Christmas shopping yesterday, and the whole experience was perfect.  I made every place I had to go in perfect time and with some to spare.  I took extra care to be happy, polite and patient with the harried store employees who I’m sure had already begun to experience the effects of Present Panic: short tempers, raised voices, and the inability to accept the phrase "We’re out of that product, I’m sorry …" 

There was only one guy that irritated me in all that running around – one person out of seven stores’ worth of employees is not too shabby.  I was looking for wine bags – you know, the little drawstring socks you put around wine bottles instead of wrapping paper… Anyway, I asked a guy who was stocking shelves where I could find them, and he didn’t know what I was talking about.  I described what they were, he looked at me and said "We don’t have that." and turned away. 
As I have seen wine socks there several times, I decided to try one more time.  I asked another employee, and was directed straight to the Christmas isle, where, lo and behold, were wine socks!!  As I walked back to the front to check out, I chuckled to myself and looked for the kid I had talked to first – I just wanted to wave the wine sock and smile at him, that’s all … but it was not to be.

The girl who checked me out at the office supply store was having troubles getting the gift card I wanted to buy to ring up – she apologized so many times, and I kept assuring her it was okay … when I smiled and wished her Merry Christmas on my way out, her smile in return said "Thank you for not biting my head off …"

I went to two more stores after that where I picked up another gift card, a book, and dinner 🙂 and still made it all the way back home to drop everything off and then to J’s work to bring him dinner so he didn’t have to take his long break and then be at work til 11.

I had so much fun yesterday, and half of it was just being able to make someone’s day a little less stressful, a little lighter.

Try it – you’ll like it 🙂