By By Michelle Blaylock, Mom’s Corner
Have you ever noticed how a smile can change a person’s day? I was having an awful day. It was one of those days that started off wrong before I ever climbed out of bed.
My son, who was 3-years- old at the time, had climbed in Unfortunately, I had fallen asleep after my husband had gotten up, then I had overslept!
Of course, this would also be the morning that two of the school kids did not lay out their clothes and get their things together for school. Knowing my 3-year-old had to go to the doctor right after I dropped off the school kids and we had to go to the store immediately after that, I obliviously had to have him dressed and me looking at least presentable. This morning was rapidly going down hill.
After a 20 minute search for the missing shoes, frantically drying gym clothes and writing a field trip check for school, we were finally ready to walk out the door.
Granted, I was ready to kill at least a few of my children as well, but we were ready to go and just a few minutes late.
The doctor’s visit didn’t go very well and I now have a crabby 3-year-old that I still have to go to the store with. By the time I got to the store, I’m sure the look on my face was not very pleasant.
This is one of those days that I just have to wonder why I had children in the first place. Then an amazing thing happened, an elderly lady at the store caught my eye and smiled at me.
She just took a second. I’m sure her life had strife. In fact, she was in a wheel chair and her feet were terribly swollen, but yet she looked at me and smiled. Did it change anything that had happened that morning? No, but it made me feel better.
I read a letter in Dear Abby about an older lady that was really contemplating what her life was worth, then someone smiled at her and made her feel her life was worth living. It’s amazing what a simple smile can do.
After my experience where a smile lifted my spirit, I began to try to make a habit out of when I make I contact with someone to immediately smile at them. Sometimes I get this look of “What is wrong with you?” but most of the time I get a return smile that brightens my day, too. Last week there was an elderly lady sitting on the benches up by the check-outs at Wal-Mart.
She just looked like she was so discouraged, not angry, just terribly discouraged. I happened to catch her eye as I was walking out and I smiled at her.
It was amazing the way her face lit up when she smiled back at me.
The other thing I’ve began to think about is how I don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s life. I don’t know if the young mother has that look on her face because she’s so hurt because her husband left her, or if her child has been ill for days on end. I don’t know if the man in front of me in line has that angry look on his face because he has just been fired or maybe he has a just been given some bad news at the doctor’s office.
I don’t know if the lady behind me is upset because she’s trying to figure out how to buy groceries and pay the electric bill this week.
Does any of this mean I have a wonderful cheery smile on my face all the time? Umm, no. In fact, I’m sure if you ask those closest to me they will tell you, I don’t always have my happy face on. In fact one of my daughters will say, “Mom has her meany face on.” In self defenses, this is usually because I’m not getting any cooperation when it comes to doing something I’ve asked my children to do, then yes, I do get a “meany” face! However, I tried to leave my “meany” face at home and put on my “smiley” face when I catch someone’s eye.
I want to encourage you to take a second and smile at someone this week and remember when you run into someone with a “meany” face that you don’t know why that person has a “meany” face. I hope you have a “happy” face week and if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please e-mail them to me at: moms-corner@juno.com