Day 195 of #LiveWell2017

It was just another ordinary day. I was walking to the Children’s Book Bank for my weekly volunteer time, listening through one earpiece to a song on my old iPod. I had already passed several people on the sidewalks as I made my way through the city streets. Most were plugged in, looking down, or otherwise engaged in conversations with their walking partners. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted movement under a nearby tree.

As I turned and made eye contact, a man standing there calmly smoking his morning cigarette beamed a brilliant smile at me and enthusiastically said, “good morning”! It was such a natural and simple gesture, but it felt like I’d been handed a rare and expensive gift. His smile was so genuine and his greeting changed my entire demeanor for the rest of the day. As I continued my journey, I made a point of paying that smile and greeting forward to everyone else I saw along the way. Kindness is such a simple thing. It costs us nothing, but is priceless.

Smile and say hello to a stranger today. It just might change their world.