I was waiting in the O’Hare airport, returning from a weekend in Chicago with my childhood girlfriends, heading back to Washington, DC. Per usual, I had an armful of magazines and books to keep me entertained during the flight.

I struck up a conversation while waiting to board the plane with two young men also returning to DC. Their eyes lit up as they noticed I had Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs at the top of my stack. We compared notes on the hilarious lines and stories sprinkled throughout the memoir.

Then one of the guys reached into his backpack and said, “Here you go, I just finished it. It’s great — you have to read it.” He handed me his copy of Burroughs’ sequel, Dry. He had left his copy at home and bought a second to read during his trip.

What an amazing gesture by a complete stranger. So next time I’m traveling — or at home — I’m going to make someone’s day by handing them a great book to read. One more way to make the world a better place…