Little acts of kindness. Unexpected bonuses. Getting just a little bit more than you asked for. We all like it when it happens, and it takes so little effort in most cases - it's cliche, but the world really would be a better place if we all did just a little extra for each other. I was thinking about this the other day when I received an unexpected bonus on a cheque from a client. So often we don't even realize the impact that we have on each other...though obviously giving someone a financial bonus is a pretty straightforward way of letting them know you appreciate them, there are so many other small ways in which we enrich other people's lives.

When I was eleven years old, I was still extremely into 'My Little Ponies', the toy that dominated my younger childhood (along with Ninja Turtles and costumes for make-believe games). This wouldn't be so odd, except that the year was 1996. Ponies were out, and had been for a while - and it would take a full nine years or so for them to really start trying to make a nostalgic comeback. Finding one of the toy catalogues that they always had in the back of the ponies' packaging, I sent an order to Hasbro in Quebec for three of their toys. I included with the order a hand-written, illustrated letter adorned with some of my favorite ponies, describing the interest and delight that I took in their toys and sent it off in the mail.

Weeks passed. My mom reminded me that the catalogue was pretty old, hinted that maybe they weren't even in operation anymore and didn't receive my order. More time passed. I almost forgot about it. And then, one day, two one-foot-squared cardboard packages from Quebec showed up at our doorstep. I was baffled. What was this? It was addressed to me, so I got some scissors and started opening them. What they contained nearly made my heart stop. 

Tons and tons of My Little Ponies poured out of the boxes, not just the ones I had asked for but, some of them repeated, and some I had never seen before! There was no note, no indication as to what or why, just tons of toys. I turned to my parents, sure that this was an early present for me of some kind - after all, what else could it be? But no, they were as confused as I was. My dad speculated that perhaps they had simply sent me their entire remaining stock (about 30 ponies), since I was so passionate in my letter and the toys just weren't selling any more.

I don't consider myself a particularly materialistic person, or one who overly relied on toys rather than imagination to entertain myself as a kid, but that day will stand out in my mind forever. I will never forget that feeling of ordering those three ponies and getting ten times as much as I had asked for. Some I gave to my friends. Some I kept for myself. Some are still sitting in a box in my parents' basement, having been enjoyed by my younger sister during my teenage years. 

The person who made the decision to clear out that corner of their warehouse to send a pile of toys to a kid who wrote a letter probably didn't think too much of it. But the main thing that I remember is that someone gave me a wonderful surprise that day, whether intentional or not. Something extra, just because. No strings attached. And now, whenever I get an unexpected bonus from an employer, an extra pickle with my sandwich, or even a "free gift with purchase" - anything where someone gives just a little more than they needed to, I think of those ponies.

Of course, that's a fairly uncommon example, especially when dealing with businesses and companies who watch every penny. But I think that we as human beings can think of a few times when a family member, a friend, or even (perhaps especially) a stranger went out of their way to give us something that brightened our day just a bit. And there's probably tons of times when we ourselves affect people's lives without even realizing it - giving that little extra, that bonus, that something a little more can really change someone's day - and if you're lucky, maybe their life - even in the tiniest of ways.

Colleen MacIsaac is currently studying animation at Emily Carr Institute in Vancouver, BC. When she's not working on her graduation film, Warming, she's making comics, illustrations, sequential art and collaborations, or else doing some crazy performance piece. She is a member of The Radar Friends, and can be frequently be seen at the Vancouver Comic Conventions, though she will be relocating to Halifax in the near future after a stay in her hometown, Edmonton. Check out her website at http://artichoke.evilsmile.net