Thank You, Chayce

It is incredible the little things that influenced me greatly in childhood.
Like the time that I used a hyphen on an assignment in elementary to make a wo-
rd extend to the next line. The teacher said it was the wrong thing to do. I simply responded, "That's how they do it in the Bible!"
That was in like... Second grade. Haha. :D
Little bits of my memory which stick out. The one I just mentioned is the one which has driven me over the years to improve my grammatical and punctuation skills.
There is one though which I think has influenced me more than almost any other.
A memory, which I can still hear and see from the hundreds of times I heard and saw it.
A girl, whose name was, and if she hasn't changed in the while since I've seen her, Chayce.
I never had a crush on Chayce or anything. But I watched her all the time. She was just. So. Happy. I never understood it.
One day, heading into band class for the hundredth time, I heard the familiar, "Hey Dallin!!! :D" And saw Chayce's bright, beautiful face as she greeted me the same way she had for years. The same way she greeted everybody, as far as I could tell. The way she greeted me even when I didn't think I had friends.
I decided that day that I was going to learn to be as happy as Chayce. It took effort. I had to consciously smile all the time. Be enthusiastic in my greetings to people. Smile more. Be optimistic. Smile more. Laugh more. Smile more. Care for people. Smile more.
It still takes effort.
That little memory has changed me. I'm not the boy I used to be. I am much happier. And, I make it a goal to brighten the lives of everybody I see every day, because I remember.
I remember what it's like to feel like I have nobody to go to and to have someone walk up to me and enthusiastically exclaim, "Hello Dallin! :D"
I remember what that did to my day.
And my week.
My month.
My year.
My life.
And so, the long owed thanks now comes.
Thank you, Chayce. You changed my life.
May God bless you forever, and may joy remain always in your heart.
Keep smiling. :)
Love,
Dallin