Put a Smile on Your Face

Sometimes the stars align just right and things happen such that you end up with a smile on your face and a magical memory to cherish. Recently several such things happened just that way for me.

My grandson’s Hiruko class sponsored a Saturday morning Kick-A-Thon to raise funds for disaster relief efforts in Japan. He's 4½, and he managed to execute 200 kicks! His individual feat raised almost $1,500 for the cause. He’s learning the importance of looking outside himself and helping people in need. What an achievement! He high-fives and smiles every time he tells someone what he accomplished. I’m smiling as I write this.

Smiles draw a positive reaction from people around us. Many believe smiling extends life expectancy. Why then wouldn’t I want to smile and be joyful all the time? I can’t, of course, because there are sad moments in life, moments when my heart is breaking and nothing seems right. But wouldn’t it be awesome if I could capture smiles in a glass jar like fireflies so they could light up those dark moments? That’s may not be possible, but it is possible to recall joyful moments and smile again.

During the past few weeks, I had the incredible good fortune to find myself teamed with an awesome woman creating decorations (no surprise) for an open house event sponsored by a local nonprofit we both belong to. She sees projects much the way I do—she relishes detail and presentation. She also makes me laugh and generally sees the bright side of life. We make a great team! (Yes, we complained a time or two along the way, but it was fun working together.) I’m still smiling.

My granddaughter is a Sparkle Girl at a local dance studio. Her dance team of 5- and 6-year olds performed a ballet routine to "Let’s Go Fly A Kite." They won a first-prize trophy and a silver ribbon for their division. That song and scene from the Mary Poppins movie has been replaced forever by the vision of her twirling and spinning in a cloud of sky-blue tulle and sparkles. (My mother is surely looking down at her and smiling.) It was a magical moment!

I heard a speaker once who said joy is magical, momentary and unexpected. The trick, he said, is being able to recognize it when it happens and store the memory of the feeling away in our memory banks for future reference. I believe he’s right.

Joy is exhilarating and fleeting, but when it happens, it’s unmistakable. I don’t think it happens every day, but when it does, it never fails to amaze and delight me.

Zen master Thick Nhat Hanh says, sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile is the source of your joy.

Friendship is a source of joy for me. I’m a musician (a handbell ringer), and there is nothing more delightful than looking out into the audience and seeing the face of a smiling friend. What can surpass a friend offering a helping hand? What fun to stroll downtown to the A la Carte and Art festival on Castro Street with a friend looking for a treasure.

I have two friends who have designated the third step on a staircase next to their living room as my spot. I have permission to occupy it whenever the need arises. I can honestly tell you, I've spent numerous hours on that step in the last few years. (It’s cheaper than a shrink, but best of all, they offer wine.)

There is magic even in simple things. I’m lucky. I have children and grandchildren that supply me with joyful moments (and not so joyful moments, too, no matter what their age). They may not know it, but just the sound of their voice on the phone gives me joy.

So, in case they’re reading this, that’s a not-so-subtle hint to call.