Part of my day job requires making weekly deposits . So every Tuesday, I go to the bank in the main lobby of my building and see the same half a dozen or so tellers.
Today, one of my deposits contained eight quarters. Bryan behind the counter picked them up and studied them each individually. I thought he was checking to see if I was trying to deposit Canadian coins, but then he smiled and said, "Yes!" as he set two of the quarters aside.
He then explained that there's a lady who comes in every Tuesday afternoon after volunteering at the art museum. Her grandson is collecting U.S. quarters and she has been searching in vain for Guam and Puerto Rico on his behalf. Bryan digs through his cash drawer every week, but hasn't been able to help her out.
Until today! As it turns out, two of the quarters I deposited were Guam quarters.
Bryan was all excited as he told me, "You've just made someone's day. You have no idea! I was feeling kind of bad because I knew she'd be in today and I wouldn't be able to give her any of the quarters she needs. But she is going to be so happy now!"
Obviously, I didn't do anything to make anyone's day here. Not anything deliberate, I mean. I just handed over the quarters someone had paid me.
But Bryan was doing something deliberate. And the fact he couldn't stop smiling about getting to make this lady's day? Well, that kind of made my day a little bit too.