The Magic of a Smile

There is a children's storybook that I used when working . I read it in assembly at the start of the new school year to the 5-7yr olds. It was called the 'Gotcha Smile' about a little girl starting a new school and being unsure about how to make friends. She tries taking toys, cake etc but none really work. Her wise grandad advises her to just smile and it does the trick!
Smiling is very infectious! Glad you were cheered up!

DH and I were walking through a park in Berlin when we couldn’t fail to see an American heading our way, ranting and shouting at everyone she passed - “Oo, look at her, she’s so fat”, “You two, you’re a couple of idiots”, and the like. When she got to us she bellowed “Oh, here’s a woman with a beautiful smile.......and a really ugly floral coat.”

Fennel I too Always compliment our rubbish collectors and give them small boxes of Ferro Rocher at Christmas.
They always smile and wave to me. They seem to be generally ignored and have such an unpleasant job.

Lazigirl I do actually let out my ground floor granny flat in the Summer months. Fully equipped and clean but only good for two people.

Rome is not very romantic just now - awful problems with rubbish collection and holes in roads. I live just 30 km North - in the country - but the train goes straight into Rome centre (Piazza del Popolo).

If you want to know more, you can send me a private message and I can send you photos.

I had to smile all the time in my previous working life and still try to make a point of doing it. I have noticed that people in the service industry are sometimes quite surprised by it. I always smile and make eye contact with my 2 DGCs and I think it makes for a very good and close communication.

OMG giulia how lovely to live in Rome. Do you do B&B? Lovely heart lifting stories.

At one time I had to often walk through a very dangerous city area at night on my own. I wasn't as old as I am now but I'm sure I could have been described, even then, as a "little old lady".

Quite often I would see a group of youths or young men hanging about ahead of me, perhaps on the opposite side of the street and they looked quite threatening.

I would cross the street and go up to them and ask "Excuse me, could you please tell me the time? "or "Could you please tell me how to get to...?"

It always, every single time, resulted in smiles and help.

The street cleaner who works in the small town where I often shop is a very hardworking, friendly chap who is always smiling. Just before Christmas a shopkeeper posted on a local forum that she was collecting for a Christmas present for him. He was invited into her shop on Christmas Eve and to his amazement was presented with £375. I bumped into him last week, was given his dazzling smile and he told me he'd ordered a reclining armchair with the money.

I sometimes thank the street cleaners, and the ones that empty the street bins -'you're doing a grand job!'
They always break into a big smile.
I would hate that job.

I always try to smile at people, even when I am feeling sorry for myself or in pain. The smiles I receive back help to reinforce my belief that the world is full of good and friendly people.

A simple expression that can move a mountain, build bridges, uplift the soul of another and radiate warmth and compassion.

A baby's first smile is a joy.

A few years ago I stopped for petrol on my way home from work. I had had a hard day, my relationship want going well, I was recovering from a chest infection, it was cold and wet, and to cap it all I spilt petrol on my shoes when I was putting the nozzle back. I could have cried. The boy in the garage- and he was a boy, no more than 17- looked at me and said:"you have really nice eyes." He will never know how much that cheered me up. I smiled all the way home.

kitty Lovely poem and so true!

www.kindspring.org/story/view.php?sid=6767

I love this poem.

Dragonfly you are not alone even if we can’t be with you in RL.

Ooh! What a nice young man as one of the comic actors used to say (Ronnie Corbett, Kenny Everett?)

How right you are! I find that a smile always works when waiting to join a main road in the car.

Dragonfly46 and lots of {{{hugs}}}.

Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone - especially apt for me at the moment.

It’s funny you posted this giulia I woke up this morning thinking of Brexit, how cold and grey it was and felt really grumpy I got in the shower and gave myself a strict ear bending saying to myself, smile at everyone today it might cheer you up as well as them ...and then I saw your post ?

You are of course right. A good smile with eye contact works wonders. Round here people.say good morning to strangers. In London, when I visit, I don't find it works so well.