The
Importance of Smiles
“If
a child smiles, if an adult smiles, that is very important. If in our
daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only
we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of
peace work.”
Thich
Nhat Hanh
Do
you ever find yourself rushing to the next important thing, head
down, scowling about what has yet to be done, and missing entirely
the beauty of autumn all around you. A friend of mine is spending
three weeks up in Maine working for Acadia National Park. Every day,
he takes a ferry over to Little Cranberry Island from the mainland to
work in the museum. He says that the weather is stunningly beautiful,
the ocean and harbor scene is simply a feast, and everyone on board
except for him has their nose in a computer or a cell phone.
Sometimes we forget the smallest things—the everyday opportunities
for grace.
Yesterday
was a perfect day in Birmingham in terms of the weather. I went to
walk at a park that runs alongside a broad creek. The water was
running, burbling over rocks; the sky, a clear blue, the leaves just
beginning to turn. Yet every young person I met had earphones and
iPods—they were turned inward and tuned out. Outside, mockingbirds
and wood thrushes were channeling the music of the gods. I even heard
a barred owl!
We
underestimate the importance of beauty—whether in people, or in
nature. It refreshes the soul, adjusts our attitude, increases our
optimism. Just observing beauty sends a shower of feel-good chemicals
throughout the body. The gift of a smile can change a dull day into
one full of possibilities. And smiles, like yawns, are highly
contagious.
Today,
while you are going about your business, put your cell phone away and
just enjoy the beauty around you. Try smiling at everyone you meet.
When you wear a smile, you feel better, and when you smile at someone
else, they feel better, too. Did you know that we humans are the only
animals that smile to express happiness. It's a gift meant for giving
away.
In
the spirit,
Jane
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