My mother had an appointment with a cardiologist this morning. As I was a bit early, I went to sit down to wait for my mom to arrive.

As I was looking for a place to sit, I passed a woman and caught her lovely scent. I have a very sensitive sense of smell so I usually pick up on the unpleasant fragrances, especially in medical settings but this one was delightful. I sat down in a chair and thought for a moment about something I had read about always taking the opportunity to tell somebody something nice. It takes literally seconds, it doesn’t hurt you in any way, and it can potentially make someone feel good.

So I went back over to her leaned down and told her that she smelled lovely. She smiled and her face lit up. And, as is common in women a generation or two older than myself, she deflected. “Oh, I hope it isn’t offensive.” “No, ma’am. It’s really lovely.” Her smile grew even more. “I just put some lotion on.” “Well, I am so glad you did,” I said as I winked at her and went back to my seat.

I know it sounds strange but even though I was sitting behind her and couldn’t see her face, I knew that she was still smiling. And when the nurse called her name, I saw that I was right. She still had a big grin on her face and she turned and made eye contact with me as she left the waiting room. I winked at her again and she did the cute thing that people do when they are delighted and offered – I don’t know how better to describe it than – a tickled little shoulder bounce.

It literally took less than 5 seconds to relay true information that made her day. And, to be completely honest, it might have brought a little extra sunshine into my day as well.