Smiles

I have often been told that I always have a smile on my face. Whether it was by people I worked with, went to school with, or family and friends. Maybe it was because I knew how hard my parents worked so I could have braces and jaw surgery. However, I don’t believe I truly smile just to flash my thousands of dollars smile. I smile to make others feel good. I love watching an older gentleman’s face light up, who is wearing a Vietnam Vet hat, when I smile and say thank you for your service. Or when I hold open a door for someone and smile at them. Or watching a close friend, who maybe going through a tough time, smile back once I smile at her.

The other day I was thinking about these silly masks, and how even though I am wearing them every day I am still smiling. I had a brief thought of why. Why keep smiling with these masks on? Who can tell that I am smiling? I am getting older and when I smile the smiles lines are definitely around my eyes. If people did pay attention they could tell I was smiling. However, do people really pay that close attention? So do we keep smiling? We do!!

We often think about what a smile can do for others, but not necessarily what it can do for ourselves. Do you know that every time we smile it causes a feel-good party to happen in our brains? A smile sends a message to your whole body that you are happy. This signal can relax your body, lower your heart rate, and your blood pressure. Your smile has magic in it. We have often talked about how laughter is the best medicine. Well, smiling does magical things too. So I challenge you friends to keep on smiling even if you have a mask on. Imagine if we had a good belly laugh every day and smiled throughout the whole day. The smile is not just for others, but for ourselves too.

I read this quote and thought it was fitting for this blog. “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” For yourself, smile!!