Stop and help whenever you can

When a family is taking a photo along the walking path of the Central Park Reservoir — kids posing in front of the water, dad fiddling with his phone camera settings across the trail — stop and wait before crossing. Wait an entire minute, if that’s how long it takes for them to finally snap the shot. Wait even if no one else is waiting, and so there are already people blocking the lens anyway, and so another one wouldn’t matter.

The waiting is for them, but the waiting is also for you.

Drop the sense of urgency when there doesn’t need to be one. Drop the eye-roll and the sigh and the look of frustration, and also the feeling of frustration — it doesn’t belong.

Offer to take a photo for them, so they have one all together. Look into their eyes when you offer. Notice their excitement to be there. When you tell them, “Smile!” you’ll smile, too.