In past articles I have mentioned that my wife and I run an estate selling business. We have met many extraordinary people during this venture, but no one more extraordinary than a man named Bill Clark. I first met Bill at one of our sales. He stood out right away; most likely due to the colorful top hat and cane he was supporting. It was the kind of top hat that people typically wear at a New Years Eve celebration, but this was July. I kept my eye on him as he meandered through the estate, not because I was afraid, he was going to steal something, but because I was curious to see what he was up to and how people would react to this unusual but charming man. I saw a lot of smiles and chuckles and friendly conversation. It was a bit of a distraction but in a positive way. He actually spent quite a bit of time at the sale but when he got to the check out, he didn’t have much that he was going to buy. It didn’t matter to me; I grabbed the items and carried them to his car. I wanted to experience this man for myself.

When I walked him out to his car is when he offered me an angel coin. I told him to go and give it to my wife; the lady who was at the counter. I knew my wife would sure get a kick out of it and respond in a more enthusiastic way then I would. I was right. She smiled big and gave him a big hug. The next thing I saw was the lady working with my wife was giving/getting a big hug, then a customer and then another. It certainly brought a new and uplifting energy to the sale. So much so, that I had to also give him a big hug before he left. It made me smile. I asked him how all this started. He told me that one day he made a trip to Menards. At the check-out counter he gave the young clerk a guardian angel coin. He asked the clerk if she knew what that meant and she said no. He went on to explain it to her. Then sometime later, he went to an estate sale that we were hosting.  My wife still carries the coin with her every day.

Next, I asked him what the story was behind the hat, he said it started at an estate sale where he was looking at some hats and there were several ladies around. He told them if he bought the hat and wore it to church, would they do the same. They replied that they would. He did his part but he doesn’t know if they kept their word; he never saw them again. He continued to wear the hat every day and always gets compliments and it encourages him to keep the hat on his head. He said that he wears it to make people smile. Then he asked me-“did it make you smile?” I had to admit that it did. He followed by saying that if it makes me smile, then it makes him smile.

That all happened about two years ago. Since then, he makes a stop at almost every one of our sales. He still doesn’t buy much, but we always look forward to his visits and comforting hugs. When it came time to write this next interview, his picture immediately popped into my head. This was certainly a man of great value. There was one obstacle that I had to overcome first-I didn’t know his name. We always called him “the hugger” or the man with the hat. Everyone knew who we were talking about. Fortunately, we had another sale scheduled and just like clockwork he was one of our first customers.

Bill was born in 1938 and grew up in a very rural area about 80 miles south of Chicago. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a hardworking stay at home caretaker. He also had two sisters. It was a good home and family life. They were a very Catholic family-dad didn’t go to church but mom made sure the rest of them did. Growing up Catholic there was the expectation that your vocation would be in the priest hood. Bill had pretty much accepted that to be his path until he was drafted into the Army. Once he was released, his future was still uncertain. Coming from a small community, your life was typically shaped from handshake deals and who you knew, He wanted to be a carpenter but found himself bouncing around for a while until an opportunity presented itself when an Army friend offered him a position in sheet metal work. It was in a town located not far from where he grew up. It was a career that provided well for him and his family for more than 40 years.

Bill also landed the love of his life; his wife, Mary. He knew she was the one the first night they met. On a date at skating rink is where it all began and he didn’t waste any time by giving her a kiss on the cheek that first night. Later on, he asked her why she let two guys that she just met drive her home that night. She said that she knew she was going to marry him.  Together they had five children- Tracy, Scott, Christopher, Cassie and Daniel. He said the Lord has truly blessed him with such a wonderful family.

When I do these interviews, I typically go into it with a series of questions to guide myself through a number of topics. Generally, these topics center around how their faith leads them in their life. It didn’t take me long to realize that this time was going to be a bit different. Bill didn’t have any long thought-out answers to respond with; his answers were quick and simple. I like simple. When I asked about where his faith came from, he replied- “I was born with it.” He went on to talk about how it was nurtured from his mother and family. He said, “It’s up to us how we decide to use it. We can choose to bring happiness and love to the world around us, or not.”  He was very clear and emphatic that he isn’t trying to change the world- “one person can’t do that”. What he can do is be who he is and choose to take on each day the best he can one person at a time. That response covered answers regarding my other questions with great efficiency.

Most of my questions usually center around the problems that we are facing in the world; where they come from and some insight from these special men of value that may offer us all some guidance on finding ways to navigate through the challenges. Most of the responses I get all seem to center around our politic environment and the growing polarity between our nation’s two parties. He doesn’t like politics because of what it is doing to our society and all of the divisiveness it is causing. Without specifically asking him, I got the sense from him that he doesn’t see politics as the answer to our country’s problems. Instead, I got the sense that he believes that the means to a better and more caring (or at least a more civil society), is for each of us to be the best person we can be, each and every day and to each and every person we come across. Extraordinarily simple and even more extraordinarily powerful. Why do we have to make everything so complex?

He continued, “Sometimes even something that simple is not that easy. There are times you get out of bed in the morning and it’s hard to be civil even to yourself, let alone anybody else. You still have to go and be the best person you can and start with you. Be grateful that you could even get out of bed in the first place. If you still put your hat on and go out into the world and make someone smile and happy, even for the moment, it becomes a lot easier to find that happiness in yourself. You don’t even have to say anything; the hat does all the talking.”

There was one question on my list that I still asked because it is one of my favorites. I like to know who are the most inspiring people in these very inspired peoples’ lives. He started by telling me it was his family. First, his mom and dad. She was very caring, loving and nurturing. He said that his dad didn’t say much, he was a man of a few words but he was life smart. Then he talked about the family that surrounds him today-his five kids. They inspire him as he watches them manage their lives and families in today’s chaotic world. That brought a big and joyful smile to his face.

Then came a touch of loving sadness to that smile as he talked about his biggest influence in his life; his wife Mary. He gave her the credit for raising such a loving family. He had a number of truly heart felt and some humorous stories about his and Mary’s adventures over the years. Sadly, after 58 years together, she passed away in December of 2021. She grew up in a family that was very active with the Salvation Army and she was always doing something for someone. He talked about one of their favorite things to do together was to go to estate sales. They never bought much for themselves, but he said Mary was always buying things for everyone else. He believes that the reason he still enjoys going to sales is that he feels Mary’s presence is still with him and it brings a heightened reminder of the joy they had together. It is also the inspiration that carries him each day trying to bring smiles to all the people he meets, just as she did for him. All those years being with Mary taught him his definition of love; it is “being comfortable with someone. When you have come to that place of comfort between two people, you can talk about anything, or nothing. You can disagree and still be comfortable.”

We are coming into the holiday season and the end of another year; a tumultuous one at that. And like every other year, this is a time of gift giving, resolutions, goal setting, and starting over. Why is it such a big deal at this time of the year? Shouldn’t we practice gift giving every day? Shouldn’t we be resolute to be the best person we can be every day? Instead of setting a number of goals once a year that are forgotten in a matter of a few days, we set one goal to offer our best to make everyone we meet smile? Each day starts a new; clean slate. The faith is there for the taking-do we take it with us and use it like we should? By practicing these things on a daily basis shouldn’t repetition make it easier to do? Isn’t getting to the point of something easy make it more comfortable? And what would the world be like if we could be more comfortable with each other?

At the beginning of this article, I talked about Bill wearing a top hat that reminded me of something you would wear at a New Year’s Eve party. In staying with the holiday theme, it struck me that his hat is like Frosty the Snowman’s hat. When he puts it on (each and every day), he comes to life. With Bill, it puts the glow in his eyes, the smile on his face, and a perk in his step that allows him to go out into the world and spread the joy wherever he goes: to daily morning mass, coffee with numerous friends at McDonald’s (everyday), and visiting an estate sale when one comes along.  It might not change the world, but it sure can make a difference.

Finally, I would like to send out a wish to everyone for a happy holiday. It’s been a tough year and there are no guarantees that next year will be any easier. So instead of wishing for a happy new year, I am sending out a wish for a happy new day, every day. Instead of wearing your hat only on New Year’s Eve, wear it every day (symbolically is ok). Start each day with a clean slate and grab that faith and do good with it. Be resolute to make someone smile. I’m pretty sure it will make you smile too. And with some daily practice, you can work your way up to giving out some daily hugs too. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will be. You only need to set one goal-to make a difference. If you think that is unattainable, I can assure you that it is not. Over the last couple of years that I have known Bill Clark, I smile every time I see him. He always makes me feel better and reminds me that there is still good in this world. I believe we all need some of that.

To Mr. Bill Clark, I tip my hat to you. Happy New Day!