If you’re not around children often in New York City, you might find yourself thinking of young people as squirming, snot machines who make the MTA even more unbearable. Noise pollution that ruins your matinee-priced ticket for Star Wars. 6-figure investments who haven’t even hit puberty and have a nicer cell phone and greater net-worth than you can ever dream of!

Then you see a kid staring at a holiday window outside Lord and Taylor.

He’s wearing a Minion Hat, his mouth agape in awe. Suddenly you’re flooded with memories of what Christmas was like when you were 7 years old. When magic was at its peak. It makes you smile. For a long time. Walking down 5th Avenue, you’re still smiling, Through the subway turn styles, you still remember that look on his face. Sitting on the train and a toddler coughs all over your personal space and instead of glaring at the little snot machine, you smile instead.

A moment of New York Christmas magic.