Vachon Imagined

One of the little games my son and I play from time to time is that I ask him a simple question:

“What can I do to make you happy today?”

It took a little coaching at first. Like most children, I suppose, he assumed being cared for was simply what parents did. His answers often revolved around things he wanted. But over time, something changed. The question stopped being about getting more and became about feeling more.

Now, when I ask him to rate how I’m doing as his mom or whether there’s anything I’ve done that’s hurt his feelings or made him unhappy, his answers are remarkably simple. If he’s upset, he’ll ask me to hug him. Sometimes he just wants me to sit with him while he calms down. He wants my presence more than my solutions.

That’s what makes him happy.

If someone asked me the same question, my answer would probably be the same. A hug. Someone choosing to stay close instead of trying to fix me.

It’s interesting that we don’t talk about this more. We spend so much time discussing communication, relationships, parenting, and love, yet we rarely ask one another the most practical question imaginable:

What can I do to make your day a little happier?

Not next week.

Not someday.

Today.

My grandfather used to do something similar. He would walk into the breakfast room while I was eating and ask, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

It was such a simple question.

Funny enough, he also loved teasing me and knew exactly how to push my buttons. But the moment he asked that question, my entire body relaxed. I knew, without question, that if there was something I needed, he genuinely wanted to help. His words weren’t a formality. They were an invitation.

Looking back, I realize that the question itself is an act of love.

It says:

I’m paying attention.

Your happiness matters to me.

I am willing to do something about it.

Love is often described through feelings, grand gestures, or sacrifice. But love is also this: consistently asking what another person needs, listening without judgment, and following through with sincerity.

Not because we’re obligated to.

Because we genuinely want the people we love to experience a little more peace, a little more comfort, and a little more joy.

One of the greatest gifts we can give another human being isn’t simply saying, “I care about you.”

It’s asking,

“What can I do to make you happy today?”

And then doing it.