*smile*

Ever have that moment where you're walking to the beat of your own hardship and struggle, but then you decide to look up for a single moment and notice a complete stranger smiling at you? Makes your day, doesn't it?

The deep beauty in a smile is so profound to me. Although small, it has the power to do great things. At times, it can speak much louder and touch more deeply than words. A kind, caring smile from a stranger can completely uplift my spirit and encourage my soul. Anyone knows, days can be tiresome and filled with hardships no one will ever know about. But just the feeling that someone cares can make them diminish slightly.

God performs miracles each day. I believe blessing us with the ability to smile is one. So why, if we are given such a beautiful gift, do we use it to wound? Why are we not taking every opportunity we stumble upon to just show someone we care? Whether it be in the drive-thru of a fast food joint, or in a bookstore, or wherever.

"Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." ~Mother Teresa

I challenge you today to smile. Don't be afraid to care. To show that we're all in this together. Life is a challenge, so anything to help encourage is always a lovely thing.

"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 cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile 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." ~Author Unknown