The little things that make you smile!

Man oh man did I have a great ride into work today! I was grinning from ear to ear! I had to give a talk today for work too. I did well so the relief must've added to the ridiculous grin on my face.

Anyway... I had to get ice for an experiment this morning. the ice machine is convieniently located in the emergency department next to the X-RAY room. After dropping Ice all over the floor and cleaning it up... I noticed a frantic looking man and woman deep in discussion... looking all serious and depressed.

As I walked back past the room, I noticed an old woman sitting in a wheelchair (obviously waiting to be xrayed or waiting for a result) She must've been one of the couple's mother or grandmother.

For no reason at all She flashed me the biggest childlike grin I had ever seen!!! I dunno whether she was smiling because I was smiling or she was high on morphine or she thought I was a doctor coming to give her results.

But honestly, Her smile was so genuine it seriously brightened up my day.

Moral of the story. Smile at someone random today!!! ^_^ You don't know the effect it's gonna have on them!

Funny about your story, when I was at the gym this morning there was this 20 year old kid there, I see him every morning, but this morning he was looking very down and out...so I drew a smiley face on a piece of paper and left it on his notebook. Later he came over to me, smiling, to ask if I had left it. He said he needed it and thanked me. Such a good feeling to pass along a smile :)

On the hospital campus I work at, we have a couple of schools for physically and/or developmentally disabled folks. When I'm out for my break/walk I usually run into a different group everyday, out with their aids/teachers.

One day, I was coming up on a small group of 3. One fellow kept looking back at me, like he was afraid I was behind him. I came up beside him, and looked over at him then said "Hi!". He paused, then broke out in the most amazing, infectious, honest laugh I have heard in a long while. I laughed too, and told him I loved his laugh. I just have to think of him, and I smile all over again.

About 3 years ago, when my mother first became gravely ill and was in the hospital for months, I made the 4 hour trip to the city 3 times a week to be there for her. Also had to go through closing up her apt. and bringing her nearer to me into a nursing home. Needless to say, these train trips were very depressing for me. I would sometimes sit by the window in the train, knitting and occasionally shedding a tear. The same conductors would ride the route, punching holes in passengers' tickets between stops and handing them back to people cancelled. One time, I handed my ticket to a conductor to be punched/cancled, and after he had handed it back to me and moved on, I saw that he had punched a smiley face in it. :o