Here’s a little story that doesn’t have much point, but it makes me happier every time I think of it.

As I go about my daily life, I often look on my phone for photographs for the current date from previous years. So if it’s April 22, I’ll look back through other photos throughout the years for April 22.

Recently, I came across a photo that I took a year ago—of something that made me laugh then, and makes me laugh now.

My older daughter Eliza had a bunch of friends who were shooting their own independent movie, and they needed a place to film a cocktail party. We agreed that they could use the living room of our apartment.

On the morning of the shooting, a bunch of people arrived. First came the people with the cameras and the equipment for lighting and sound. Later the actors arrived.

After saying hello, I stayed out of their way. They spent the whole day there, then the group packed up all their equipment and left.

They were great guests, who put all the furniture back exactly as it had been, and also left me a thank-you card. In it, they’d each written a few lines of gratitude, with sentiments such as, “Thank you for letting us use your beautiful home” or “We really appreciate your generous hospitality.” But the note that made me laugh was signed by “Marc.” He wrote just a few words: “You had a lovely dimmer system.”

Of everything he could have commented on, he commented on the dimmer system. Which I love!

The fact is, we do have a lovely dimmer system. As someone who is very sensitive to lighting conditions, I love dimmers and always want them anywhere I can get them. When we moved into this apartment, I made sure that we installed lots of dimmers in our living room. But never before had anyone acknowledged this aspect of our apartment.

Here, at last, was someone who appreciates a dimmer system as much as I do! It made me so happy. And for some reason, that short observation, “You had a lovely dimmer system,” amid all the gracious, lengthy expressions of gratitude, makes me laugh.