Spreading smiles
wherever we go...
"Let us always meet each other with a smile for the smile is the beginning of love.” ~ Mother Theresa
It has been said to be the prettiest thing a person can wear yet it is totally free, no purchase required…
It’s been described as infectious and once you see one, you are bound to replicate it almost instantly…
People can share it with anyone they meet and it doesn’t take any special talents to display it. In fact, it is probably the most natural of human emotions and the simplest of gestures…
Plus, I think in today’s world, we definitely could see more of them and be better off because of it.
What is it? It is simply….a smile.
Several months ago I experienced one of those “small moments” that, at the time, seemed memorable and looking back, I am so happy I did.
I was sitting in my car at a local gas station, doing a little “people watching” before I went to drive away. I have always been a person who loves to watch people…
Years ago, I would sit with my father in parking lots as we waited for my mother to return from shopping and we would watch all of the people going in and out of the stores and discuss our observations. We enjoyed seeing how people interacted and we would occasionally witness random acts of kindness between total strangers and be inspired with the hope that people are really good…deep down…
This particular day I observed a Mennonite family leaving their van and getting ready to enter the gas station.
I have always been fascinated with the Mennonite culture, how they dress, their strong family values and how supportive they are of each other.
There was such a positive energy that was present there that day. This family seemed happy to just be together and the youngest of the family, a boy probably no older than five, turned and looked in my direction.
Our eyes met and he greeted me with the biggest, most sincere smile, the space from a missing tooth proudly displayed within his wide grin. He reminded me of my own smile when I was his age.
I smiled right back and he innocently waved at me. I returned my own small wave and for that brief moment we shared in a common joy that gets lost in today’s world.
How many times do you come across other people in your everyday life and they do not look at you but instead are staring down at a screen? Unfortunately, that is a common experience.
But what if, when you came across a person looking at their phone, you stopped and said hello…or opened a door and held it open for the person behind you?
What if you greeted others as if you already knew them…smiling at them with the same innocent joy that a young child would?
At the very least you would get to experience what I did that day…a brief but powerful connection that reminds us that we are never too old to learn from the youngest of us…
The power of a smile and the happiness it creates…one person and one random act of kindness at a time…
What do you think?
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
Children’s Corner
I came across this beautiful, wordless children’s book this week while visiting a unique and interesting indie bookstore and gift shop in McGregor, Iowa called Paper Moon.
This book, Every Little Kindness by Marta Bartolj was inspirational. The Amazon description is as follows: “When one act of kindness sparks another, anything is possible! As a girl searches for her lost dog, a simple act of generosity ripples into a wave of good deeds. In the course of a single day, each considerate action weaves lives together and transforms a neighborhood for the better.
This wordless story, told in beautiful illustrations reminiscent of a graphic novel, demonstrates how every little kindness, shared from person to person, can turn a collection of strangers into a community, and—even though we might not always see it—make the world a more vibrant and compassionate place to be.”
This week’s Smile video…
After Sonja White's first-graders last year told her their one wish was to fly on a plane, she went full throttle on the pretend, creating travel documents and boarding them on their imaginary flight in the classroom. Southwest Airlines took note of their creativity and invited the class to its Dallas headquarters. Steve Hartman has the story in "On the Road."
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
Thoughts to ponder…
“My parents have been making life easier for me my whole life. And given the chance, I intend to do the same for their grandchildren.
Not "easy.” My parents did not overprotect me. They did not swoop in to solve all my problems for me. They did not try to shield me from real life. They did not try to make life artificially painless.
But they made life easier. They still do.
When I text them and ask, "Do you know where I can get some good boxes to use for charitable clothing donations?" my mom shoots back, "We've got some in the attic. I'll bring them for you." And then they show up in the back seat of my car in the church parking lot. (The boxes, not my parents.)
When I'm pretty sure I've blown out the gears on my hand mixer while making a double batch of caramel buttercream, I send it (the mixer, not the buttercream) to my dad to confirm its demise, which he does...and then an hour later, an article about "best hand mixers including some that can handle bread dough" shows up in my email in-box.
When my husband and I needed backups to get busy children from where they were to where they needed to be, with dinner and a stop at home to change clothes in between, my parents jumped into the gap and kept things humming along.
They've made life easier by doing things for me that I can do for myself. (I can get my own boxes.)
They've made life easier by doing things for me I can't do for myself. (I can't add a new outlet on our enclosed front porch to plug in the string lights. But my dad can. And did. Thanks, Dad.)
I hope with all my heart to follow in their footsteps.
I intend to lighten my big kids' loads. I intend to fill in some gaps. I intend to smooth some rough edges. I intend—as much as it's within my power and for my children's good—to do what has been done to and for me. I intend to repay my parents forward.
At some point, there may be a switch. I know grown children who are now doing all they can to make life easier for their parents who can no longer make life easier for them. This is not easy at all. It is the hardest thing they've ever done. These children are trying to make life easier for parents whose minds or memories or bodies or spirits are failing. They are trying to repay love backward...to do what was done for them and for the people who did it.
Too, I know so many grown children who do not have a story of life made easier to tell.
They have parents who made (and make) life harder for them. My heart breaks and aches for them. If this is you, my heart breaks and aches for you.
But as parents ourselves, we are still writing our stories with our children. We still have the chance to earn this telling by them: "My parents made life easier for me."
This is not enabling. This is not co-dependence. This is not stunting growth. This is relationship. This is love. This is life. It's rarely easy for long. But lived together, it can be made easier.”
@Guilty Chocoholic Mama
StoryCorps - Grandma’s Hands
Side by side, hand in hand—Madzimoyo Owusu remembers always feeling protected by her grandmother, even when they would just sit in silence.
At StoryCorps, she opens up to her daughter, Johannah, about how her grandmother’s gentle, yet powerful spirit—and hands—left a lasting imprint on her life.
Podcast Picks
Are you stuck in a reading rut? The Book Case makes the case for books outside of your usual genre. Wander the aisles of your local bookstore with Kate and Charlie Gibson and meet fascinating characters who will open your appetite to new categories while deepening your hunger for books. This weekly series will journey cover to cover through the literary world, featuring interviews with best-selling authors, tastemakers, and independent bookstore owners. New episodes post every Thursday.
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here’s The Judds singing, “Love Can Build a Bridge”...Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….