Small Surprises (#117/365)
Posted by: Devyl GyrlSometimes, I am startled by how easily you can make someone’s day.
For the last week and a half or so, I have been painting a house in Miramar, FL. To get there from where I live, it is nearly an hour’s drive. Part of that drive is over a 3 (4??) mile toll bridge. I am NOT a morning person. The hour drive allows me some time to make myself more human, so by the time i get to the toll booth, I can usually inflect happiness into my voice even if I cannot bring myself to smile (I do not bother faking smiles: my face reads like a book, and when it is fake, it LOOKS fake and ugly). I had been using this technique for each of my morning toll-booth trips (my afternoon trips, I smile easily - by then I am awake and even if i am not happy, I genuinely like to bring a little sunshine to their late-evenings), and by the fourth morning, the gentleman looked at me and told me to smile. The reaction (surprisingly) was automatic, and I smiled. I rarely do this upon demand: I do not like people looking at me, so my tendency is to turn away and ignore such demands.
The gentleman smiled back, said thank you, and handed me my receipt. The next morning, he thanked me … he said he’d needed a lift, and my voice was always so pleasant, he just really needed to see someone smile to make him remember that even when we are miserable, there is always a ray of sunshine somewhere. I looked behind him and pointed out that the sun was always brilliantly shining by this time of day, and he should really just look up at the sky and remember he lives in one of the most beautiful places in America.Then I asked why he chose me, because I knew I hadn’t been smiling.
“Your voice rings with beauty and love … no matter that your lips did not smile, I knew your heart was smiling!”
So, even when you are too tired to smile or meet someone’s eyes … even when you are too tired to life a hand to wave as people pass you by … be strong enough to put love in your heart and music in your voice, and the message of happiness will be conveyed all the same.
You never know how deeply this may connect with someone … it might just make their day!
xoxo
April 29th, 2009 at 9:06 am
You have a beautiful voice. It is always full of sunshine and happiness! XOXOXOXO
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April 29th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Loves this! Damn… I plurkspoke again… sigh. Anyway! You DO have a way of lighting up and lightening up people’s days hon!
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April 29th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Sounds like you really made his day, and he returned the favor.
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