When the Food Arrives and 6 Other Moments That Make Us Smile

A couple of weeks ago, I was out to dinner with friends when I noticed something fascinating. Every time a server emerged from the kitchen carrying plates of food, heads turned throughout the restaurant.

Not all the heads. Just the hungry ones.

People would glance up hopefully, trying not to look too eager. Then they’d track the server’s progress across the room like air traffic controllers guiding a plane to the runway.

And when those plates landed on their table?

Grins.

Big, goofy grins.

Happiness in Small Things

I’ve become convinced that most of life’s happiness comes from small things. We don’t throw parties because you hit every green light on your way to work. No one posts on Facebook because they got a parking spot near the door. Few people will be crowned homecoming queen, but nearly everyone experiences the delight of hearing, “Your table is ready.”

Recently I heard the term “glimmer” used to describe those tiny moments that unexpectedly make your day better. The kind of thing that sounds ridiculous when you explain it to someone else but somehow makes you smile every single time. It made me wonder: What other ordinary moments cause almost everyone to smile?

I’m not talking about major life events. I’m talking about those tiny, unexpected victories that catch us off guard. The moments that make us grin before we even realize we’re doing it. The moments that would make even the grumpiest among us beam.

Well, maybe not everyone. There is probably a person somewhere who frowns when the server arrives with their food, but I’m guessing that person also complains about loud giggling babies and rainbows.

Here are seven everyday moments that almost always make me smile.

The Dentist Says, “No Cavities,” And I Briefly Believe I’ve Mastered Adulthood

I am gripping the arms of the reclined chair, praying to the Flossing gods, promising them I will do a better job caring for my teeth if they come through with a good report. I don’t merely hope for good news at the dentist. I bargain. I promise to floss daily. Twice daily. I promise to floss teeth I don’t even own.

Then the dentist says, “No cavities, no crowns needed, no weird receding gums.” I immediately begin mentally calculating how long I can coast before my next appointment. Present Sue is always making promises that Future Sue has no intention of keeping.

Restaurant Bliss

I don’t eat out very often. When I finally decide on a restaurant, it’s usually one I’ve been thinking about for days. One of my favorite Mexican restaurants serves amazing fajitas. Long before my food arrives, I become obsessed with listening for that distinctive sizzling sound coming from the kitchen.

Every time a server emerges carrying a cast-iron platter, heads turn. Mine included.

Is that my order? Nope.

Is that my order? Still no.

Then it happens. The server stops at my table. The sizzling platter is placed in front of me. Suddenly my blood pressure drops ten points. Smiles all around.

Restaurant bliss isn’t limited to the food itself. There’s also the unexpected joy of being told the wait will be 45 minutes and hearing my name called after only 10. That little beeper suddenly starts flashing and vibrating in your pocket, and you feel as though you’ve won a prize.

And let’s not forget takeout bliss. Just when I think all the fries are gone, I discover a few stragglers hiding at the bottom of the bag. Unexpected bonus fries may not change your life, but they can certainly improve your afternoon.

Like I said, it’s the little things.

Finding Cash in a Coat Pocket

The weather has turned colder, and I reluctantly head to the basement closet to retrieve my winter coat. Summer Sue is always optimistic. Winter Sue is always cold. As I slide my hands into the pockets, I feel something.

Wait. Is that money?

The amount doesn’t matter. Five dollars feels like a gift from Past Sue. Twenty dollars feels like Past Sue was in a hurry and uncharacteristically without her huge “Mom purse.” Anything over twenty, and I’m suddenly wondering if my retirement strategy has been hiding money from myself.

Thank you, Past Sue. You were more thoughtful (and forgetful) than I remember.

A Store Playing Music from My Youth

My husband and I are making our way up and down the aisles of our ginormous grocery store when the first few notes of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun come over the speakers.

I freeze.

I know that song.

Within seconds, I’m pushing a shopping cart down Aisle 10 while mentally singing into my hairbrush in my dorm room in 1983.

Everyone else is buying cereal.

I’m starring in a music video. That’s when I realize “cart dancing” is a real thing.

When a favorite song from our youth comes on in the grocery store, people over 60 generally do one of three things: smile, sing along, or embarrass their spouses. I prefer to think of my performance as a public service. As the song fades and I make my way toward the checkouts, warily eyeing the obnoxious self-checkout lanes, a cashier spots me and waves me over.

Which brings me to another unexpected victory…

The Cashier Opens a New Lane and Waves You Over

“Ma’am, I can take you over here.”

Those seven words have the power to transform an ordinary shopper into someone who feels uniquely qualified for greatness. I don’t casually move to the new lane. I practically strut. For one glorious moment, I’ve been selected.

Chosen. Recognized.

Never mind that the cashier is simply trying to reduce the line. In my mind, she has reviewed all the shoppers in the store and determined that I am the most deserving candidate.

The person behind me? Disappointed.

The people farther back? Devastated.

Meanwhile, I’m rolling (dancing) my cart forward with all the confidence of someone accepting a lifetime achievement award.

It isn’t rational.

It isn’t important.

But it absolutely makes me smile.

Sliding into Freshly Washed Sheets

Before leaving on a trip, I always wash the sheets. It’s one of the nicest things Past Sue does for Present Sue.

Hotels spend millions trying to create a luxury experience. Meanwhile, nothing beats crawling into your own bed after a long trip and realizing the sheets are freshly washed.

Home sweet bed.

Past Sue really is a thoughtful woman.

Present Sue would like to thank her. She deserves every bit of this grin.

You Find Out School Is Canceled Because of Snow

When I was teaching and my boys were young, we’d do the “Snow Dance” the night before a winter storm was predicted here in Wisconsin.

Did it work?

Of course it did. At least that’s how we remember it.

There was nothing quite like waking up to hear that school had been canceled. Suddenly the day belonged to us. Hot cocoa. Puzzles. Pajamas until noon…or all day if no one was judging.

Today, those little boys are both teachers, and every time a big snowstorm is in the forecast, they still call or text me so we can perform the “Snow Dance” together.

It doesn’t work quite as often anymore. Virtual learning has taken some of the magic away. But Teacher Sue still starts hoping when snow is in the forecast.

Maybe that’s what glimmers really are.

Little reminders that happiness rarely arrives with fireworks.

More often it comes carrying fajitas, clean sheets, or a surprise twenty-dollar bill from Past Sue.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What’s one tiny, everyday joy that younger people might overlook but you appreciate more with age? Have you ever received a surprise gift from “Past You“? If you could add an eighth glimmer to this list, what would it be?