Share a Smile

I'm continually amazed at my son's ability to elicit a smile from even the most random of strangers. A couple weeks ago I took him for a walk around our neighborhood in his stroller. We came across an older couple (retirement age) who were absolutely smitten with my son. They caught sight of him and stopped to say hello. My son immediately gave them his patented toothless smile. They both chuckled and smiled back.

At any store it's the same story. We'll go through checkout line and the clerk will take a moment to say hello. My son will grin wide enough for them to see through his ever present pacifier. Often the clerk will say something like "What a cute baby," or "He's so happy." Today in the airport he exchanged smiles with a lady for several minutes while we waited to get his stroller tagged. She was standing 20 feet away, but that didn't stop him from engaging with her.

It makes my wife and I feel good that our baby can bring joy into people's lives. There is something about the innocence of a child that attracts people and breaks down barriers. Sometimes so much so that people even touch your baby without an invitation. But it doesn't bother you because they are just enjoying a pleasant moment with another human being.

I'm confident that we as adults still have the same ability to break down barriers with a simple smile, but we are all too jaded to let our guards down enough to allow someone else to elicit any kind of emotional response. It's sad really. Sure we trade a passing smile from time to time, but when do we ever take genuine interest in the life of a total stranger. I'm not talking about making funny noises and tickling each other's feet like you would to a baby. I'm just talking about some good, old fashioned Mayberry kindness. It's a shame what we've become...

But I can't leave you on that note. Instead, watch this video clip. I'm sure you've seen it before, but it never gets old. Enjoy and remember to share a smile with someone today.