Garrison Keilor said that you can solve every gift giving problem you will ever have in a good bookstore so imagine the gift giving potential of passing through your world with a camera around your neck.

Aaron Redman recently posted this photograph of his daughter in their local bookstore and Sherrie Merchant Haber suggested they take a copy to the man in the picture. I jumped on the bandwagon and said the picture would probably hang in the store for years.

The attached thank you note from the owners is such a nice little ending to the story, isn’t it? What a beautiful life lesson Aaron has taught Hannah this Christmas season.

I can’t say it any better than Aaron did in his post:

“Do something unexpectedly nice for someone this Christmas season with your kids.”

It’s the word “unexpected” that’s really the key here; there are so many people in your life who are not expecting you to be nice to them with your camera.

I’m confident that Mr. Keilor would be delighted with the twist on his bookstore comment here. Saying thank you to a bookstore with your camera…wonderful.

And imagine the trickle down effect this photograph, this thank you note, and this posting will have. Things are not as bad as they seem.

Merry Christmas, Hannah.

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