Often times, it’s the little things that bring the most joy. For our youngest son’s recent birthday, we ate dinner at his place of choice. He picked Chili’s Restaurant, but not because of a favorite meal - because they have tabletop tablets that allow customers to place orders, play games, and even pay the bill by interacting with the screen. For a child, a tabletop tablet with video games is endless fun, at least until the food arrives.

The best part of the night came toward the end, though. Our waitress overheard our conversation about our plan to open presents after dinner, so she took the initiative to add her own special touch to the evening. She rallied the wait staff to serenade our son with a lively rendition of “Happy Birthday” and then brought out a special dessert for him. We didn’t realize she had picked up on our birthday chatter, so it was a sweet surprise. As our son was grinning ear-to-ear, eating his dessert, we were surprised yet again.

Our waitress inquired if we were Harry Potter fans. When we said “yes," a kind gentleman walked up to our table and gifted our son with a hand-carved, wooden replica of Harry Potter’s wand! The gentleman, who was sitting nearby, noticed the Chili’s team singing to a young boy and wanted to make the night even more magical. After thanking him for the generous gift, we learned that after heart surgery, the man had taken up woodworking as a method of therapy. (If you’d like to order a wand for your own Harry Potter fan or for Halloween, you can reach him at .)

These two selfless acts made our son’s birthday extra special! The waitress and gentleman went out of their way to brighten the day of a child they didn’t know; and it was heartwarming. To them, the gestures may have been small, but to us they were unexpected and filled us with joy. There are many people here in the Mid-South who make it a priority to go out of their way to do little things for others each day, creating countless smiles and happy memories. We appreciate them! Are you one? Will you be one who does the little things?