I have problems with facial features, so smiling, especially at work, is very difficult. I told myself today that not only will I smile at every customer, I would make eye contact as I did so in a genuine and enthusiastic way. The results were very rewarding, people smiled back as kindly as I smiled at them. After a few successes, a middle-aged man came up to me and said, "You have a great smile." I told him that I was trying, about to go into the details, when he said, "I'll give you a reason to smile. Today I went to visit my 80 y/o mother in the hospital, but when I got there the doctors told me that she had passed away 20 minutes before I arrived. You have no idea of what the power of a smile can bring. Your smile made this whole situation and my day so much better. Thank you."

I was in tears as I relayed the story to my parents on my break. It was overwhelming to think of how simple and yet so powerful a smile could be. Now I have discovered a true reason to keep on smiling.