This morning during my daily walk, I passed a woman who apparently had as much interest in being sociable as in getting her right hand surgically removed. On my next lap around she was still standing there and her demeanor was unchanged. But I wasn’t gloomy, so I said, “Seems like the cicada occupation is going away.” (Maryland has been infested with these flying insects over the past few weeks.) She looked up slowly and removed her ear buds. She frowned for a moment and said, “What was that?” I repeated myself and she looked around as though weighing the merits of my comments. Then she flashed the most luminous smile and responded, “I certainly hope so.”
Whoa! What a transformation! Right before my eyes, the sullen woman I passed on the first lap magically turned into a warm and attractive person without changing her clothes, her hair or putting on makeup. Just by adorning a smile.
Of course not everyone will respond like this woman, just as not every flower is ready to bloom, but my spirit was brightened by her smile, and I thought, you know, most people look better when they smile. So, if I want to see more beauty in the world, one simple way to do it is to be a smile-maker.
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