Welcome back to Our American Stories! Today, we journey to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a truly heartwarming tale from our regular contributor, Paul Bauer. Paul shares a very special Easter Sunday with his grandson, Owen, a day that sparked a profound question in his heart: what truly makes a day “the best day ever”? Join us as we hear about a moment of pure childhood joy—an unforgettable Easter egg hunt that led to a sweet, simple declaration and a powerful revelation.
Paul’s story takes us beyond that initial Easter celebration, exploring how perspective, strong family bonds, and unexpected acts of kindness can transform even challenging moments into treasured memories. From life lessons learned during a career start in Dallas to finding joy in unexpected detours, discover how embracing a child’s innocent wonder can reshape our understanding of what makes life’s moments truly special. This uplifting narrative reminds us all about the enduring power of human connection and paying it forward, offering valuable insights that might just inspire your own “best day ever.”
📖 Read the Episode Transcript
Speaker 2: On an Easter Sunday morning, my grandson Owen got me thinking about what makes a day be a good day, or more specifically, what makes a day be the best day ever. Owen was at our house that Easter when he was about five years old. He was outside in our backyard in the middle of his annual Easter egg hunt. As he was running back and forth all over the yard, finding the hidden treats and loading up his Easter basket, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Owen looked up at me with his big brown eyes, showed me his overflowing basket, and blurted out as loud as he could, “Papa, this is the best day ever.” It was adorable, and his excitement in turn made that Easter morning a pretty good day for me as well. After the Easter celebration was over and Owen went home for the night, I thought about those precious words Owen exclaimed, “the best day ever.” That’s a pretty bold statement coming straight from his heart. Since Owen just had his best day ever, I began to wonder, what about me? What was my best day? I found myself having a hard time coming up with an answer. For some reason, I started recalling some of my bad days. Seemed much easier to battle those off. The Christmas morning when I didn’t get the new pair of hockey skates I wanted, or the day I got teased and picked on in school for wearing hand-me-down clothes. Why was I thinking of these rather than my good days? Then it hit me: I need to think like a child does. The innocence and excitement children had can make any d be the best day ever. With that mindset, it became easy for me to think of great days I’ve had. I recalled my freshman year in college, a day that started out bad for me. I just got cut from the college hockey team. I called my best friend to let him know my bad news, and he proceeded to tell me it was okay. It doesn’t change a thing. He’s still going to be my friend regardless of what hockey team I’m on. He had no trouble turning what was a bad day into a very good day for me. I have many examples of bad days turning out for the best. Another such day was when I graduated from college and it started my first full-time job at EDS in Dallas, Texas. I was alone and on my own, but eager to start my first career. I was excited to start climbing the corporate ladder. EDS required their staff to dress up in the office back then, and even though I arrived in the Texas Heaton that June with very little to my name, I was indeed primed to dress for success. Spending the last few of my dollars on my new prize pass essions: three brand new pairs of flax along with three short-sleeve dress shirts and three freshly pressed ties. I was ready for the big time. However, my first day in the office became a bad day for me because I learned the hard way the dress code at EDS doesn’t allow for short-sleeve shirts. That seemed odd to me having to wear long-sleeve shirts in the middle of summer in Dallas, Texas, but my boss made it clear to me, “this young punk out of college can’t come to the office dressed like this.” He made me keep my sport quote on all day long, hiding my uncalled-for short-sleeve shirts. I was in a bind. Fresh out of college, I didn’t have any money to buy new clothes. I was counting on using my first real paycheck for this. That evening, after my first day in the job, I called my parents and explained my dilemma to them. They must have then told my oldest brother, Tom, because before the week was over, I had received a check on the mail from Tom so that I could buy myself some long-sleeve shirts. My big brother, without any prodding from me, just turned my bad day into a great day. I know this was no small sacrifice for Tom because he was just starting a family of his own, with three young boys in their house at the time. I know Tom didn’t have any spare money, but that didn’t stop him from finding a way to help out his younger brother. Not only did Tom change that day in Texas from bad to one of my best, but he also taught me an important lesson that has stuck with me ever since. Tom taught me the importance of family, and he taught me how to share and help others without expecting anything in return. My new best day ever at the time has turned into much more, and I tried to pay it forward and live by my brother Tom’s example to this day. In doing so, hopefully I can brighten the days of others, and maybe, if I’m lucky, my kindness might even help someone else have their best day ever too. My five-year-old grandson Owen and his Eastern morning best day ever also taught me to look at things differently. The more I thought about it, I realized that oftentimes what can make a difference between a bad day and a great day his perspective. Take, for example, a day of fishing with my son Tim. There have been days where we have caught nothing, very little. Is that a bad day? Not a chance! Those are the best days ever, as we were together in the boat, spending time together with our thoughts and our feelings to share. Or, how about the day I was taking my daughter on vacation to Colorado to spend a week hiking in the mountains? Our morning flight got canceled, and there were no others until late that evenings. Well, this was the start of a bad day. We took matters into our own hands rather than waiting around at the airport all day. We decided to skip flying and take a road trip instead. Driving the thirteen hours, we had much more fun in the car than we would have about the airport, spending quality time together and laughing along the way. We even managed to put together a playlist for the radio of songs that we both could agree to. It became a road trip we’ll never forget: another example of my best day ever. I’m recalling these fond memories and best days thanks to my my grandson Owen and his simple but powerful words. Along with remembering the good days, Owen and his words have also stuck with me since and have helped me keep my days in perspective. My young grandson, Owen, without even realizing it, taught me to work hard at making all my days be like his and be my best days ever. Of course, since one of my hobbies is to write poems, I couldn’t let Owen’s profound words go by without a corresponding poem inspired by Owen on that Easter morning, so I did write a poem about best days, and I’d like to share it now. It’s appropriately titled “The Best Day Ever,” and it goes like this:
This is the best day ever, my grandson said to me
While he was hunting for his Easter eggs.
And I thought, “How can that be?”
How is it that a child can be so innocent and free?
As I thought about it further, I thought that should be me.
Why can’t today be my best day? Why do I always expect more?
I’ve got it all right at my fingertips. What am I looking for?
I get caught up in the daily grind, bills to pay, in, chores to do.
But today should be my best day, for I’m spending it with you.
As a child, my best day ever was the day I got a strike.
A few years later, I had topped it on the day I got my bike.
I grew some more, scored a winning goal.
That became my best day yet.
But even that was passed in high school:
The day you, my best friend, and I met.
The days each of my kids were born were the best I ever had.
That followed with day after day where I was the proudest dad.
But lately I’ve been in a rut.
Are all my best days through?
There must be more that lie ahead, for I have much more to do.
I will on complicate my life a bit. Look at life a whole new way.
Just like a child, I’ll be happy. My new best day will be today, today.
My granddaughter giggled at me.
I’ll remember that smile forever.
Her big brother just said he loves her.
Today is not my best day ever.
I’ll start thinking what my grandson does.
Innocence will open doors.
I’ll make today be my best day, and I’ll help you to make it yours.
Speaker 1: And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Greg Hangler, and a special thanks to Paul Bauer for sharing his story and his grandson’s perspective on what constitutes a best day ever. Mine was simple. It was a summer in 1976. I was away at a basketball camp in Monticello, New York, and I was anxious, and I was worried, and I was young when I was a good ballplayer, and my dad just said, “be yourself” on a phone call. Coach Luke Carniseca was walking by, the legendary coach at St. John’s back when St. John’s was a collegiate power, and I was sitting there just taking jump shots from the dead corner. One in a row, two in a row. Coach stops and goes, “Son, five dollars if you make one more.” I made nine in a row, the best day of my life. Only a few people saw it, but Coach Carniseca said, “Look me up in a couple of years, Son.” But I never grew past five-foot-ten. That was as tall as I got. The story of “the best day ever.” Sometimes they start off as bad days here on our American stories.
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