I’m thinking of happier times in life.

I remember one such time vividly.

As I've mentioned before, a lot of people live in De Wallen. Their homes are there. Their lives are there. And over time, although not so much these days, you get to know people.

A few years ago, I was going through a really tough time in my personal life. I won't go into detail, but it was rough.

And at work, behind a window, it's often hard to continuously pretend you feel completely different from what you actually do.

So one day, I looked sad. I knew I looked sad. I didn't try to hide that I looked sad.

And this woman walked past with her child. They were holding hands, but they stopped and stared at me.

I am quite a defensive individual. I'm conditioned to really detest being stared at.

Alas, I returned to scrolling on my phone.

Then there was a knock on the window. I opened the door, looked down, and there was the child.

The child gave me a flower and said, "You look like a Disney princess." They opened their arms and hugged me.

The mother smiled, and I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

What that child did meant everything to me.