So I’m sitting at one of my favourite coffee shops enjoying a black coffee with cinnamon (if  you’ve never tried this it’s awesome) and reading a book, when an older man suddenly stops at the table I’m sitting at, and places a little piece of notepaper in front of me.

“Each day I like to say something nice to someone, however it has to be true. To you I’ve noticed you don’t wear much make-up. You don’t need it. You are a 10+ without it. And the flower in your hair is nice too. Have a nice day. Tony.”

The gesture took me off guard. He was probably in his late 70’s to early 80’s, and before heading out of the coffee shop he shook my hand, and tipped his hat to me: “good day.” I could take this note a lot of ways, but I am going to assume that he meant it in the most altruistic of terms, and I’m going to forget the fact that he added his phone number to the bottom (I tore it off before taking my little picture).

I hope that he honestly does say something nice to someone every day. His note certainly put a smile on my face. Sometimes a kind word can hit someone at exactly the right time. I like to think that the world works in mysterious ways.

I remember a Robert Munsch book that my mom used to read to my brother, sister, and I when we were younger. It was called “Waiting for the Thursday Boat” and it was about a Giant looking to file a complaint with God (or rather beat him into apple sauce) because he had driven all the elves, snakes, and giants (except himself) away.

The story had a different moral, but the book always used to leave me with the reminder that God is everywhere, and that he (or as my mom always used to say “she”) can be anything. I like to think that God is in all of us. Let me preface this by saying that I’m not religious at all, but I am spiritual and I do believe in a higher power that I will never assume to understand. I do, however, believe that this higher power has every individuals best interest in mind, and is eager to help you if you let it. This power must act through someone, so why not you. If you’ve ever felt suddenly inspired to say something nice to someone, especially a stranger, don’t ignore it. Perhaps in that moment this higher power has chosen you as a vessel to bring a little bit of light into someone else’s day. How else to explain the fact that the few times I’ve felt that inspiration and acted upon it, it always seemed to be at exactly the right time in that person’s life. We are all connected, and we are doing this crazy thing called life together, so why not help each other out a little bit once and awhile?

Put a note on someone’s coffee shop table today (but perhaps leave out the phone number). You never know what kind of big difference the smallest of gestures can make.