The simple power of a smile...

In the complexity of life, the simplicity of a smile is sometimes all you need. A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who recieve it, without making poorer those who give it. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it can last for a lifetime.

As I would sit on the corner of the street outside our apartment in Mumbai I would just observe the people walking by. These people didn't have much, they lived in a filthy mess literaly, and not many would smile but just pass by doing what they could to earn a couple of dollars. There were two of them that caught my attention. They were both children. They didn't attend a school, not sure if they even had an education of any sort. They were up early and it wasn't to play. They were children that spent their day working. As they passed by I didn't say anything at first, because I didn't know what to say. I simply smiled as one would drive his bycicle making deliveries and the other would search through the garbage for plastic. As I smiled at them, their eyes widened as they smiled back. Every morning after the first smile, as Rajesh and a young girl who I don't even know by name passed by, the smiles continued. Nothing was said, but a lot was communicated. I took the initiative to send a smile, but they had no idea what it did when they smiled back. Who got ministered to more? Rajesh and the beautiful girl, or me? I think the answer is just as simple as the smile was.

When at times it is hard to smile, smile anyways, for you don't know who else is having a hard time smiling.