Without hesitation, Anthony sprayed José with the hose as he walked by. I knew that this poor boy had no idea that was coming. I expected him to be upset, annoyed, maybe force a fake smile to be nice, while all us adults would know he was really agitated. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by his reaction.

José went out of his way to make the day of the little boy who lives next store. As I’ve watched my son struggle with difficult emotions lately-feeling extremely lonely, missing his friends, confused by the current state of our society- José’s small gesture had such a huge impact on my heart. 

In a world filled with madness, sadness, and uncertainty, sometimes what we need most is something simple. With things as difficult as they are today, the smallest gesture can come at the perfect time. It might not take much effort, but the ripples of its effect can last for days or weeks to come. 

We may feel so disconnected and divided today. But the fact remains, we’re all in this together.

In a difficult world, be a José.