Saying “this is nice” out loud, in the moment, turns an okay afternoon into one you’ll remember.

Naming a moment while you are inside it changes how it gets kept. Saying the thing out loud marks it, which makes it far likelier to survive, and it also tells everybody else in the room that they are allowed to enjoy this as well. Unmarked good afternoons blur into one another. Four words can be the difference between a memory and nothing.

Try it this week when an ordinary evening is going well. Say so, plainly, while it is still happening. Expect somebody to laugh at you, and expect them to agree about a second later.