MAKE MY DAY

Allan Houston, Buck Williams, and Bob Buckingham – all neighbors – made my day.

Last weekend I entered the fish market and a tall man had his hands filled with food to take out. I looked up and it was Allan Houston, a former basketball player with the New York Knicks.  We exchanged a few words, he was very friendly and said it was nice to meet me. He made my day!

When I saw Allan I was trying to recollect the name of another New York Knicks basketball player I met back in the mid-1990s. I met Buck Williams at an ice skating rink in Stamford, CT, when his son and my daughter were playing in a spring ice hockey league together. I remember having trouble tying my daughter’s skates and I asked him if he wouldn’t mind tying them for her. At the time, I had no idea who he was… just another parent at a hockey game. Buck gladly tied the skates and was very helpful. I remember asking him if he was a basketball player because he was so tall and I noticed he had such big feet.  He smiled and said he played for the Knicks. We all watched the hockey game and my 9 year old daughter, Annie, scored a goal. I looked over at Buck and he motioned with his hands that she got the goal because he tied her skates! I thought to myself that he should come to every game and keep tying her skates!!!  He made my day!

Last weekend I also took my grandsons to the school playground. Bob Buckingham, who we didn’t know, was pitching to one of his sons when his other son was a fielder. My grandsons, ages 5 and 3, wanted to play softball with them not knowing how. Bob and his sons taught the boys how to hold the bat and the mitt, and how to hit the ball and how to catch it. Bob said my 5 year old was a “natural”. They were all so kind and it was fun for all. They made my day!

I personally think it’s so nice when people are kind.

Will you make someone’s day today?