Growing up, people use to ask me why I smiled so much. My usual reply to that question was to smile and shrug my shoulder. I really didn’t have a reason to smile, I just smiled. I remember one year after being asked this question by soooo many people, I decided to see what it was like not to smile. To do this, I decided that I was not going to smile in my school photo and guess what… I hate that photo of myself to this day! It is just so ugly.

Recently, I was involved in a blog comment debate over smiling. My signature line for comments was, “Come on, I dare ya, Y’know you want to… Smile!” I was informed that due to war and animal deaths, that it was difficult to smile. I agree that smiling at times can be difficult; I don’t actually smile 100% of the time myself. However, this debate brought something to light for me: the answer to that pestering question that I have been asked all my life, “Why are you smiling?” I smile because I am alive.

I have worked in a hospital where the majority of the patients came from the retirement home next door. Many of them did not have visitors and when I went into their rooms to give them their menus to fill out, I smiled. Many would smile back; some even thanked me for my smile. Not only does smiling help me feel happy and actually energized, but also it can be contagious. I like the feeling I get when I smile and someone smiles back.

If you are feeling down, a smile, even if forced, can help you feel better. No, it cannot change the cause of pain and suffering in the world, but it can ease a bit of it for you and those around you. This theory is based on emotion. When you force a smile, it feels unnatural; you know it is forced so don’t pretend to smile, you should think of something happy. Eventually, the smile is for real and you feel it. Then, those happy thoughts or memories will actually turn your blues to yellows. A brighter moment has come.

Heck, even one of my famous sarcastic smiles makes me feel better and has on occasion, diffused a touchy situation. (I had a school counselor give up lecturing me about fighting because I just sat there with a smile. He said it was too distracting!)

So, come on, I dare ya…

Got an opinion, sign up now and voice it