Make Someone's Day
Make Someone's Day
by Drue Duke
by Drue Duke
The waiting room in the doctor’s office is divided into two sections by a four-foot-high wall. Today few patients were waiting. In fact, I was alone on one side of the wall while my husband Bob was in the examining room.
I scanned the tall bookcase against one wall. A book of children’s Bible stories was on the very top shelf. I noticed it because a group of identical ones were lined up on the bottom shelf. I took another book for myself and settled down to read.
Just then a little girl came around the wall and stood on tiptoes to take the Bible storybook from the top shelf. Ten or fifteen minutes later, she returned with the book in her hand. She stretched to replace it on the top shelf, turned to leave, paused, then reached up to retrieve the book. She squatted down at the bottom shelf and lined up the book beside the others like it.
"That was very nice of you," I told her as she stood up.
She gave me a one-tooth-missing grin and said, "Thank you. It was out of place."
She disappeared around the wall, and I heard her mother ask her, "What did that lady say to you?"
The child’s voice did not carry enough for me to hear her reply, but soon a young woman carrying a baby in her arms rounded the wall,wearing a big smile.
"Thank you for your kind words to my daughter," she said."We try very hard to teach our children to do the right thing, but we can’t help but wonder if they remember when we’re not around. You made my day!"
When she had left, I sat quietly, thinking about what she’d said. I hadn’t done much—I’d just said a few words to a child. But how often do I let a like opportunity to make someone’s day slip by?
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