It doesn&8217;t take much to turn a day from bad to good.

At least that is what I have discovered in the past six years of working behind the camera and in front of the computer at The Natchez Democrat.

On days when it seems that only a crowbar could pry away the frown on my face and the furrows off my brow; just a few words of support and a pat on the back will do many times.

That is why I was saddened by the death of Barbara McKinley this week.

She was one of those pats on the back that I would get from time to time as she passed through the newsroom with her Top of the Morning columns.

Whether she knew it or not, just her encouraging words and bright smile were enough some days to lighten the load of the days frustrations and photo assignments.

Her death reminded me this week of all the others, both living and dead, who have walked through the doors of the newsroom headed straight for the editor&8217;s office to drop off a letter to the editor or just to come and express an opinion.

One of my earliest memories of people passing through to brighten the day has become legend at The Democrat.

When I first started photographing for The Democrat, Zelda Milstein had already become a regular, dropping in sometimes two or three times a month with her words of wisdom about the Natchez Senior Center.

Like a stand-up comedian, Zelda would have the crowd in stitches as soon as she walked into the newsroom. Her sense of humor was unique and was sure to brighten anyone&8217;s day.

Several years ago, Zelda spied across the long row of news desks a beautiful bouquet of red roses standing on then-editor Stacy Graning&8217;s desk.

In only the way Zelda can, she turned to

Kevin Cooper

, who was the newspaper&8217;s creative director and said, &8220;Oooooooh, roses.&8221;

&8220;You know there are only two reasons why a woman gets roses,&8221; Zelda said with an almost devious look on her face.

In one sudden moment all ears in the newsroom turned to hear her answer.

&8220;You either have done something really, really good or you have done something really, really bad,&8221; she said with a big grin on her face.

With that the newsroom burst into laughter.

To this day when Kevin recalls this story at the newspaper, complete with an almost perfect Zelda Milstein impression, I can&8217;t help but smile and laugh.

In fact, I can no longer remember the who, what, where and when about the roses on Stacy&8217;s desk.

That and many, many other episodes have taught me to stop and listen anytime one of our devoted readers walks into the newsroom, not so much for news but to just stop and visit.

By their very presence, Zelda, Barbara and the many others before them showed that they cared about the newspaper, and ultimately, about their community.

In a business that can be filled with words of complaints and downright viciousness, a visit from an outsider can make the difference in your day.

Zelda may have left us but her spirit and humor still visits the newsroom whenever I hear the story about the roses.

With the advent of new technologies like e-mail and cell phones, it has seemed to me that the stream of visitors has thinned. Maybe people&8217;s lives have become busier or maybe it has just become easier to zap a Top of the Morning or letter to the editor across the Web than to drive it over to The Democrat.

Whatever the reason, we will always get the news. My worry, though, is we will have lost a chance at making a connection with some of our readers.

So here is to Barbara, Zelda and the others who helped keep the community connected to the newspaper.

They will be greatly missed.

Ben Hillyer

is the visual editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached by personal visit at his desk in the newsroom.