"A SMILE
costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making
poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes
lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and
none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness
in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of
friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to
the sad, and is nature's best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought,
begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone
until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give
them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to
give."
-- based on the writings of Rabbi Samson
Raphael Hirsch
A smile is such a
precious thing. So often used that we
take it for granted. Look around; smiles
are everywhere. From the most depressing
depths of poverty to the fenced in lives of the wealthy, we all find something
to smile about. A smile helps us display
our feelings to the world. Feelings of
love, joy, or just pure uncensored laughter; all put on display with a
smile. The darkest of days; brightened
by a simple "flexing" of seventeen muscle in the mouth. Smiles are crooked teeth, perfect teeth and
everything in between. Rich or poor, black or white, boy or girl, everyone
deserves a smile. Smiles all convey some
type of emotion that is tangible and real.
A joy that can be felt and almost held.
A smile is as warm as an embrace but as simple as a sunrise. A flood of unbelievable emotion can come
crashing down on you just from a simple curl of the lip.
Smiles can be one
of the most romantic things in the world.
A communication without words. An
understanding of emotions and character.
Even a smile of understanding gives you some of the greatest pleasures
that can be imaginable. A smile reflects
a feeling that is so universally understood that it is too hard to define. It is soft, knowing and as beautiful as a
butterfly. A smile that is shared
between lovers can be as calming as a lake or as exciting as a shooting
star. The thought of it can make you
complete or leave you desperately wanting.
There is no greater feeling in this world than seeing a smile after a
longing kiss and knowing that you can spread joy to so many people with such a
simple gesture. You lose nothing, save
maybe half a calorie but you gain a world of knowledge and understanding. Smiles complete you and make you feel
whole. Without smiles there is nothing
in life to look forward to.
A smile is like a
time machine. It can bring you back to
the days of your childhood, like the time your mom gave you ice cream when you
fell off your bike and scrapped your knee.
Remembering how the sun shone on your face and filled your soul with
warmth and love. Laughing as you ate the
cone from the bottom up while rivers of ice cream flowed down your face. Or the time at summer camp where you met your
first love. It will fill you with so
much raw emotion that you just wanna scream out to the world that life is
good. Sometimes a smile from a close
friend will make you break down and cry or just burst out into hysterical
laughter. Smiles are contagious. They make a complete stranger sitting next to
you want to smile. Just try it some
time, smile at a stranger and see the reaction you get. Remember, some of the greatest of friends
were once strangers that shared a smile.
Smiles can make your worst imaginable day into
something that is bearable. It is a need
to communicate understanding and sympathy.
Words over a telephone line, no matter how eloquent and beautiful cannot
convey the same feelings as a honest smile.
There is nothing that can compare to actually seeing a smile, knowing
that someone understands you and all you pain.
Its that tingly feeling that you get up and down your spine when you
receive a smile that makes you want to return that feeling tenfold. It will mend deep emotional scars and give
hope to the desperate. It is the single
greatest gift that can be given and the purest form of joy that can be
expressed.
Why do you think
that people smile when they have their photo taken? Its to capture a happy moment. A moment that can be looked back upon during
a day of hopelessness and despair so that you can forget your worries. A way of saying, "Hey, that was one of
the best days in my life!". Its a
way to block out all the negatives and reflect on all the positives. An extension of the soul that is so easy, so
right and so pure that anyone can do it and no one can deny it.
There we were,
three of the best friends that God had ever slapped together for some unknown
reason. Standing in a darkened room,
trying to grasp the signifigance of the moment but coming up short. The love that we had for each other rivaled
that of a mother for a child. The
futures we had created for ourselves was just a step ahead while we were left,
clinging to the past. Graduation, 1995,
we finally did it! All our hard work and
dedication finally paid off. What we
were waiting for for twelve long years was just around the corner. A dream waiting to be realized while
unbeknownst to us a bright future awaited.
Then it happened ... a flash in the darkened room like a bright light
from a lightning storm. There we posed,
friends for life, as flashbulbs went off.
Captured on film and frozen in time, one of the happiest days in our
lives.
The smiles that
we displayed were that of the happiest moment that we had ever
experienced. The good times and the bad
times all came flooding back to us, consumating into a single experience.
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