I recently came across a poem that I’d like to share.
The Value of a Smile
It costs nothing, but creates much.
It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.
It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None are so rich they can get along without it, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.
It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.
It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and Nature’s best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away.
And if in the last-minute rush of the business-day, some of our colleagues should be too tired to give a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours?
For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!
***
When I remember people that I like to be around, I tend to remember them when they’re happy. Although we have a great tendency to attach ourselves to negative events, genuine smiles are wonderful memories.
It can be difficult to smile when you feel that everything is against you but greeting a person with a warm smile might improve their day.
I can’t remember the last time I was ever annoyed by someone smiling at me. I only remember smiling back. That can’t be a bad thing, can it?
Improving Slowly 