Make Someone Smile

          For several years Friday afternoons were a special time in our family.  It was a day when homework could wait because of the weekend ahead, so when the kids got home from school I'd say, "Let's go make someone smile!"  They knew what that meant and always looked forward to this weekly adventure.  (OK, it could have been the carrot at the end of the stick.  When this tradition first began, I'd add, "And then we'll go get ice cream and make ourselves smile!")
          The venue for this adventure in smile-gathering was our local nursing home.  We would enter the large double doors of the facility to find stooped residents shuffling past wheelchairs occupied by those who could no longer shuffle.  The magic occurred when any of the elderly residents caught sight of children in their midst.  Then their faces would light up and hands would reach out to touch and perhaps detain a little one for a chat.
          Suddenly a new energy entered the room.  There was quiet laughter, teasing, offers of little candies, a sweet competition for the attention of a child.  Stories were told: "I remember when my son was your age...." 
          I watched my children learning valuable life lessons in this atmosphere.  They learned the social skills of initiating a conversation, asking questions to keep the dialogue flowing, and they learned to say, "Thank you for telling me that story.  I'll see you again next week."  They learned to overcome their shyness and fear of reaching out to someone they didn't know and had little in common with.  They learned compassion and others centeredness.  They learned the power of having something to offer just by being present and friendly.  They learned that making someone smile is a very worthwhile goal.