Gratefulness Found in a Smile

Photo image courtesy of Pixabay

“A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face…” – Proverbs 15:13a (The Message)

I recently had a ten-day migraine. There was some ebb and flow where the migraine “cocktail” of drugs given to me at the doctor’s office worked temporarily, or my new prescription provided a few hours of relief before the headache came back with vengeance. But after ten days, I finally drove myself to the emergency room, desperate for the pain (and nausea) to go away.

With squinty eyes and a whisper to the lady at the front desk, I checked myself in. She smiled, saying, “I hope you feel better soon.” I sat down in the hard chair and curled into a ball to tuck my head to shield my eyes from the sun rays coming through the windows. The others in the waiting room, even though they were also there for illnesses, smiled in sympathy, knowing without a word uttered that I was unwell. About 45 minutes later, I was called back to an actual room where a kind nurse took my vital signs and asked all the questions. I was trying hard to be okay, to be my normal, bubbly self, but I was failing badly. It didn’t matter. She smiled and gave me an IV and some initial medications to (hopefully) help.

It wasn’t long before she was back with a doctor to get the full gist of all I’d taken and done to try and get relief from my ten day pain escapade. And as I’m going through it all, I begin to cry uncontrollably. I was a blubbering mess! I started apologizing for this, saying I was just tired, in pain, nauseated, and frankly, angry at that point. And they just smiled and told me not to worry. That they would not let me leave the hospital until they knew, without a doubt, my migraine was gone and was not coming back.

And as I think back to what I expected to be a dreaded “ER” experience, it wasn’t one at all. And why was that? It all comes back to those smiles. I am so thankful for all those smiles. Even when I wasn’t in the capacity to give one back, all of those people offered them to me anyway. And they made all the difference. I was able to survive that lonely, painful ER experience because of those smiles.

And I am grateful for them.

Today, I challenge myself, you maybe you too, reader, to walk around with a cheerful heart that brings a smile to your face, and in turn offers those around you a smile that could turn into something they are grateful for. We don’t know what those around us are going through. But a smile given is an easy way to spread kindness. And, later, they may look back and be so thankful that you offered it during their time of need. What an easy way to spread an attitude of gratitude- with just a smile.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Have you ever offered a smile to someone you knew needed one and later found out it helped them more than you could have even imagined?

2. Why do you think it is so hard to offer a smile sometimes?