The Encore of Joys: When Collecting Feels Like Coming Home

There are days when joy arrives quietly, not as fireworks or grand milestones, but as a small, familiar box that feels like a return. When McDonald’s announced the release of the TinyTAN Happy Meal Encore Edition, I found myself smiling, not just because of the toys inside, but because of what they represented. Something about it felt like picking up a memory I didn’t know I had left waiting.

The last time I unboxed a TinyTAN Happy Meal, it wasn’t just about collecting the figures. It was about collecting moments, small bursts of joy tucked into an otherwise ordinary day. That tiny toy sitting on my shelf reminded me that happiness doesn’t have to be loud or logical. Sometimes it just needs to be yours.

And now, with the Encore Edition, it feels like that same joy has come back to say, “I’m still here.”

There’s something grounding about that. How joy, even when fleeting, can return in new forms. Maybe the first collection spoke to the surprise of finding delight in small things. This Encore feels like revisiting that moment, but softer, wiser, more intentional. It’s not just about completing a set; it’s about remembering how it felt the first time you cared enough to.

When I held the new toy in my hands, I noticed the details, the new outfits, the familiar faces, the way they seemed to say, “You’ve been here before, but you’ve grown.” Collecting them now doesn’t feel like chasing. It feels like cherishing.

Maybe that’s what encore means beyond music or performance, a second chance to feel joy you didn’t want to end.

Because collecting is not only about what we gain. It’s also about what we keep, the versions of ourselves who once found happiness in something so small, and the reminder that it’s okay to still do so.

So yes, I’ll keep unboxing. I’ll keep finding beauty in these little returns. And if joy decides to visit again, even in the form of a TinyTAN toy from a Happy Meal, I’ll always make room for it on my shelf, and in my heart. - MESSY E.

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