A Smile

I am a mother of three, ages 14, 12, and 3, and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile." The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be really easy.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one winter morning. It was just our way of sharing special play time with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away. As I turned around to see what was happening, I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor, homeless men. As I looked down at the short man, close to me, I saw he was smiling uncertainly. His blue eyes were full of light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue eyed man was his only hope. I held the tears back as the young woman at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all, Miss," because that was all they could afford. If they wanted to sit in the restaurant for a while and warm up, they had to buy something.

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were watching me. I smiled and asked the young woman behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue eyed man's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I leaned patted his hand and said, "I was not the one who did this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."

Tears came to my eyes as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope." We held hands for a moment and at that time we knew that only because of the ability that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we believe in God. That day showed me the pure light of God's love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of my course, with this story in hand. I turned in my project and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and asked, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings, and being part of God, share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn - unconditional acceptance.

-- Authors Unknown