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The Value of a Smile
Someone once said the most charitable thing one can do is to give
someone a smile. Sometimes I am sure each of us has wondered how we
can be more loving in our community and beyond. What actions we have
to take to make this possible, what do we have to do to feel a part of
our community. I know I have often thought about it. Have you? The
fact is, our lives are busy, we are involved with doing things for our
community, and our personal lives are packed with chores, things to
do, and things not to do. So often I have walked into a store, walked
down the sidewalks of our streets and peoples faces are fraught with
pain, fraught with just not "being there". They walk past each other
as if they are robots, getting ready to launch into space, and not
even seeing the other people passing them by. Have you observed this,
or is it just me? Sometimes I pass someone on the street and they look
so angry, so sad that I often wonder what is going on with that
person. Yes, I do take the time to think about it. Have you? I often
walk down the street with a great big smile and say good morning to
people who don't answer me, smile at people who don't smile back. And
sometimes I dare take it personally, but what to do? Sometimes I think
that out of towners would be pleased to see us giving them a smile and
welcoming them to our town.
Just imagine how much closer we could be as "townspeople", if we all
smile when we see each other. Just a nice acknowledgment to another
human being. If each of us extended ourselves in getting to know the
people in our town, just a smile.
You see, I really believe that a smile does a lot of good for us. I
believe that it stimulates the endorphins in our brain and is good for
us. Like taking a good glass of water, and breathing fresh air. We
must do something for our community, we must smile.
A smile says something to someone. It says "I acknowledge you
lovingly". So many people are scared of the word love, that if a smile
converts into "love", they would actually run away from a "SMILE"! But
we can do better than that. It says I accept you just as you walk down
the street, I acknowledge and accept you for who you are. And I thank
you for being who you are. All those things rolled up together
constitutes a smile.
So let's start changing our little town into charitable offerings of
smiles, one smile at a time.
Rosemarie Greene
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