From A Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion: A Small Day's Work

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A Small Day’s Work

We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Do you smile at people? I do now, but I didn’t always. I grew up in New York and learned from a young age to not make eye contact with strangers, especially on the subway. Then I moved to Florida, where everyone was always nodding hello and smiling. So I started responding by smiling back. And no one has ever been offended by my smile. A smile costs you nothing to give and you may get one in return, which is lovely.

What would happen if instead of scowling we smiled at the person who cuts us off on the road, or takes the close parking spot, or has twenty items in the ten-items-or-fewer lane? Not a sarcastic smile, but a genuine smile that reaches up to your eyes and says, “You seem to be in a hurry or stressed or annoyed, so here, let me share my smile and hope your day gets better.”

[Tweet "Make this your day’s work, to share a smile with everyone."]

Make this your day’s work, to share a smile with everyone. Depending on the situation and your comfort level, add a “God bless you” or “have a nice day” or whatever is appropriate. If you go out with your family, have them do the same. You could even have your children keep a log as to people’s reactions when they smile at them.