Life Support: Smile!
I am told
that the muscles of the face are capable of over 250,000 different combinations of
expressions. And one of the most useful is a smile.
Fulton J. Sheen used to say, "A smile across the aisle of a bus in the morning could
save a suicide later in the day." That statement is true. We all need the healing
medicine "of the heart" that a smile, even from strangers, provides. And for
some, that medicine can save lives.
English essayist Joseph Addison put it this way: "What sunshine is to flowers, smiles
are to humanity." Don't say you can't make a difference! Don't ever say you have
nothing to give! Each of us can give a smile, spontaneously and sincerely. Its value may
not be at once recognized, but be assured that it will be felt.
My friend, Laura, sent me this anonymous poem about passing along a smile:
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realized I'd passed it on to him;
I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine, could travel 'round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected;
Let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!
Today you will find plenty of occasions to pass along a heart-felt smile. Remember... it's
the second best thing you can do with your lips!