Keep Smiling

After days of unrelenting rain, the weather finally cleared up. Sunlight spilled across the orchard, and the air filled with the cheerful chorus of birds. On one of our old apple trees, a lively group of parrots gathered, their chatter as bright as their feathers, as they feasted on the ripening fruits. Were they smiling or I felt so?

Smile is one of the simplest and most pleasant things that a human can do and yet most forget to do it. We underestimate it. A smile. So effortless, yet so powerful. It’s the smallest gesture we can offer, and often the one that makes the greatest difference.

A smile is universal. It travels across cultures, languages, and even species. Babies respond to it instinctively, strangers feel safer when they see it, and friends find comfort in it. When we smile, we send out a signal: I acknowledge you. I accept you. I mean no harm.

I remember reading a poster from as a child when I was growing up. It hung in my bedroom in one corner and said – Smiling is happy and fun, and doesn’t cost anything. Someone once told me that a smile is the easiest improvement one can do to one’s personality and face. No amount of make-up comes close.

But smiling is not only about others, it is deeply healing for ourselves. Science tells us that smiling releases endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, the “feel good” chemicals that naturally lift our mood. Even when forced, a smile tricks the brain into thinking we are happier than we are. In other words, the body listens to the face. Remember the ‘All Izz Well’ trick from the famous 3-idiots film? It actually works, and even more so for smiles.

Smiling is also contagious. Think of the last time someone smiled warmly at you. Chances are, you couldn’t help but return it. That small moment created a connection, however brief. Multiply that across daily encounters, and suddenly life feels a little lighter, a little kinder. A teacher entering a class with a smile immediately makes the pupils happy and more receptive. When I smile at my homestay’s team members, they smile back and it creates a bond that makes us all perform better.

Of course, a smile should not be confused with suppressing pain or faking happiness. The incessant rains had left our village road in ruins, slowing the transport of fruits and vegetables and causing inevitable financial losses for many farmers in the valley. Yet, on this clear day, most of them seemed in good spirits, perhaps from relief, perhaps from a sly touch of drink or two. Some, excessively tipsy, swayed along with the mood. Amid arguments and rising tempers, yet softened now and then by a few smiles, everyone came together to get the road repaired with the help of a JCB, making it temporarily motorable. Life has its storms, and every emotion deserves space. Yet, the act of smiling, genuine, heartfelt smiling – can become an anchor, a reminder that joy can still be found, even in small moments.

So why not practice it more often? Smile at yourself in the mirror. Smile at a passerby. Smile when you are grateful, when you are relieved, or when you feel love. Like I mentioned earlier – it costs nothing, but the returns are immeasurable. While reading the above lines, you, my reader, I hope that you smiled.

A smile cannot solve every problem. But it can change the energy of a room, soften a heart, and brighten a day. And sometimes, that is exactly enough.

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