Smile For The Sunshine

Smile. Sunshine is good for your teeth.

 ~ bathroom stall in the Remedy Cafe.

My smile is my most precious gift.  I've been told so many times that it has an immediate impact on the mood of whoever sees it.  Three reflections on that:

The "Safety" Smile

My last heartbreak (which I am eternally grateful for the growth opportunity it provided me) made me stop offering my smile for free.  The power of my smile is so great that I now keep it only for real occasions.  Its beauty lies in the fact that it comes from genuine happiness.  Before my last heartbreak, I would smile more for other people than for myself.  I still smile for other people, but only when they've proven themselves worthy of a genuine smile... Otherwise, I'm smiling because I have caught myself in an amazing mood - a true moment worthy of my great gift.

The "Contagious" Smile

Smiles are contagious.  There's this great image I have in my mind of taking the bus in Vancouver.  The first bus of the morning, travelling down Granville at 540am, everyone kept to themselves, staring off into space or heads down reading the first free paper they could grab. With ear buds under my toque, I quietly tapped my foot, swayed my hips and moved my head in time to the music.  A grin reached across my cheeks as I immersed myself in one of my favourite songs.  I opened my eyes to find myself in front an audience, all mimicking my facial expression.  Oh, the happy days those people must have had!

The "Sales" Smile

When I first starting working in retail after an eleven-month hiatus, I was in the most stressful academic situation I had yet to be challenged with.  My course load had doubled from the previous semester AND I was taking a language course (never a good idea). In my personal life, I was working as hard as a duck - appearing calm on the surface while frantically paddling to fit in - to stay afloat.  Throw into all of this the financial necessity to take on a part time job. It was time for me to be the cheery cashier they all expected to see at one of the most stressful shopping times of the year.  I remember one specific night shift, after one of my longest days in class.  The smile came on as soon as I put on my vest, despite being in a terrible mood.  After an hour of pretending to be happy, I had a longer than usual conversation with a customer.  Suddenly, I realized, I wasn't working at the smile.  I had, after working so hard to pretend, become happy.  

The "Knowing" Smile