Getting your smiles where you can

Yesterday and last night wasn't the best. Those days happen, we pick up and brush off and move on. Then something happens and we get the proverbial shot in the arm.

Mine was this morning at Java Detour on Pecos and Patrick Lane. Bad me, I don't know the two girls' name, but they are darlings! I walked in, quiet and just looking for caffeine and what do I walk out with? a huge smile and laughter, oh and of course a triple black and white with an extra shot. They took time from their day and chatted with me, I got to tell them about my kids and how wonderful they are and then we got talking about Girl Scouts and just random easy happy stuff like that. And because of those two sweethearts, my day feels 100% better.

Then of course, there is my sis and her Husband. My heart's support. When I need them they are there. Always. I am never alone. she gives me support, but she gives me laughter too. So does He.

But on about getting smiles. There are so many great things in life that will give you smiles, a baby in a shopping cart at the grocery store drooling and smiling at his mama, your child telling you that, even a thousand miles away, they need you to kiss their boo boo, and of course there is always your dog, chewing on your shoe because he wants your attention. (Your first reaction is horror, but if you look to his reason, you are wanted, that is so worth a cheap pair of shoes for a smile.)

But another thing is important, to show appreciation of the smiles that are being handed to you, hand them out to others too. One of my favorite things to do is to wave at airplanes. Where I work is directly in the line of the airport. So when I go out to get the mail or walk to my car and a plane is going overhead and it isn't too far away, I wave. I don't know if the pilot or any of the passengers can see me, but I like to think that maybe once in a while they can. The pilot or co-pilot is checking his gauges and getting ready to land and they look down for a second and there is this person waving at them. I try and imagine what is going through their minds, do they smile and maybe even wave back. Or do they say to their counter parts, look at the crazy person down there waving. I know if they do see me, they smile.

Its like that Pay It Forward movie, only with a happy ending. If we can pass on the smiles that were given to us, just imagine how much nicer this world would be.

So on a day when you are having a hard time with finding that smile within yourself, go out and get it. It won't be hard to find them, smiles are all over the place if you take the time to look for them.

Even on the days you honestly feel you have nothing left inside to give, I promise you, one small smile at an elderly person walking down the street will brighten their day, and in turn you will have the good feeling of making that happen.

Everybody has their days and their issues. We need to learn to deal with them in a positive manner and going on a Smile hunt is a good start. You don't need anything special for this hunt, just your heart and the desire to seek happiness. It will find you. And the more you recieve smiles, the more smiles you will have to give out, so don't be stingy. You'll never know when your one simple, sincere smile will make the complete difference in the day of a person. And so on and so on and so on.