How To Make Someone’s Day

GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY

“Go ahead, make my day.” It’s such a good line, isn’t it? I’ve never even seen Sudden Impact but I know Clint Eastwood says it. And although I have no context for the scene it comes from, I know his character is egging another character on, like, “Oh, yes, please do something stupid so I can punish you.” Not a super healthy move, but a bold one. He’s saying there’s something the other character can do to make a boring, dull, or even terrible day a bit better. But outside the world of Clint Eastwood and 80s movies, it feels like a bit of a mystery to figure out how to make someone’s day, doesn’t it?

Turns out it’s incredibly simple. 

STORYTIME

Gather around, children! It’s Storytime! [Clears throat.] 

Earlier this week I was at Aldi, stocking up on chicken. Of course, my bag of frozen poultry and I got in line behind a woman who was buying groceries for everyone she knew, so I just stood there, waiting. And while I waited, I spotted a couple of slightly sad plants next to the checkout line. At this point, you should know that I have recently developed an indoor plant habit, and it’s already getting a little out of control. And by out of control, I mean I have four plants, which is wild considering my past history with botany.

So I couldn’t help myself. I browsed the five, slightly anemic-looking plants. And when I looked at the tags, I read, “Low Light.” Great! It’s literally the only prerequisite I need for a plant to enter my house, which is basically a shadow realm. We have windows, but the house to the north of us is only six feet away, and the other half of the duplex obviously keeps us from having windows on the south side. Trees block the east side, and the west side lets in sunlight for one hour per day in the summer. All that to tell you that my recent plant obsession was struggling to thrive within the confines of a poorly lit house.

THE CONVERSATION

Naturally, I picked up the “low light” plant and placed it on the belt next to my frozen chicken. At this point, the woman in front of me took notice. She smiled.

“Oh, are you a plant person?” she asked.

“I am!” I said, deciding not to dive into the particulars.

“I just love plants,” she said. “I have this one from my daddy’s funeral, and it was so beautiful when I brought it home. But now it’s getting brown streaks on the leaves! I try to talk to it every day, and I play music for it. I don’t want to give up!”

Obviously, I had no real plant knowledge to offer (my plants are lucky I know their names) so I simply said, “It’s like the plants we care about the most that are the hardest to keep alive, you know?”

She beamed at me like I was Gandhi himself.

“That is so true! Thank you so much!” she said.

We held eye contact for a moment as the clerk pulled the woman’s receipt. I didn’t know what else to say.

“Well,” I said, “I believe in you.”

“Thank you, sweetheart!” She grabbed her receipt and wheeled her cart away. “You have a lovely day!”

And we parted ways.

HOW TO MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY

Although she didn’t specifically say it, I could tell that our interaction made her day. And, really, I did nothing other than say something encouraging. I offered no real advice or help and I certainly didn’t intend to make her day! I was just in the right place at the right time, and I looked up from my own thoughts and encountered someone whose day needed to be made. But it turns out that a little empathy and belief at the right time can go an awfully long way – all the way to helping you accidentally figure out how to make someone’s day.

Honestly, it was a little addicting. I want to make someone else’s day now! Perhaps I’ll make another trip to Aldi for a low-light plant? But also I just want to recognize how simple it can be to reach out and care for others, brightening their experience.

So tell me: when was the last time someone made your day with something simple? And how did it happen?