Today, I headed out for some more reconnaissance browsing as I hunted for Christmas gifts. While at Indigo, I heard a child singing along to the Christmas song being played over the PA system. I looked around for the source of this sweet voice and saw a mom and young boy step out from behind a shelf.

— "You have a very beautiful voice," I said to the boy. He smiled and blushed.

— "Do you sing?" I asked. He nodded.

— "Well, you're very good," I added. "You could be the next Usher."

— "Oh he'd love that," the mom said with a smile. The boy beamed.

Earlier, I had struck up a conversation with another Indigo patron. She was in the Self Help section looking at a book. I started browsing nearby. When I noticed that she had put James Clear's Atomic Habits back on the shelf, I mentioned that the book was excellent. I asked whether she was considering buying it as a present. She was, for her 34-year-old daughter. I told her that I had bought the book for my 32-year-old son. She said she appreciated the endorsement. I also recommended an updated version of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.

And before that, I saw two girls talking in the aisle. As I passed them, they hugged each other. I said, "You two are adorable" but they did not appear to hear me. It didn't matter, as I was putting positivity out into the world, and that is its own reward.

Tonight, as the young man who sets up our ping pong table each week at the Richcraft Recreation Complex was completing his task, I asked him his name. It turns out that his name is the same as one of Mel's closest friends. For the first time in all the weeks we've been playing ping pong at Richcraft, we were able to thank the young man by name. At the end of our hour of play, he came by to ask us our names. Kindness begets kindness and joy can be found in everyday encounters.