Nothing could be simpler and yet as powerful as a smile. A smile has the ability to bring some light into the world around us and lift our own spirits too.
“There’s no such thing as a small act of kindness – even the tiniest gesture has a ripple effect.” Jaime Thurston, ‘Kindness, the little thing that matters most’ #52lives
Growing up in Northern Ireland, it was quite normal for people to greet you or smile at you as they passed. When I came to London I couldn’t understand why no one greeted each other on the train and certainly never made eye contact. Smiling was definitely out of the question! When I had children, they felt no need to conform to these social norms as they would go out of their way to catch people’s eye and make them smile. I remember many occasions where their endeavours would cause smiles to spread on the bus or train – somehow a child breaking the unspoken rule gave others permission to smile! Sadly, children grow out of this beautiful innocence far too quickly.
We can learn something from the readiness of a child’s smile which brings life, light and fun. It is so simple, so liberating, so infectious… why not light up someone’s day with a smile today!
