The Smile Of A Little Girl
Peace begins with a smile.
~Mother Teresa
As I stepped outside today, I took a long breath in appreciation of the freshness of the air which the rain had left behind. All the colors looked richer and expressed their beauty yet more refined. The birds sounded cheerful and seemed to sing a song of gratitude for yet another loving reminder that a wonderfully unseen Hand holds all together.
As I sat to take in a moment of gratitude, I thought of a little girl at the Zoo the other day. My family was in an exhibit and I was sitting on a bench, savoring some ice cream. It was a beautiful spring like day. I could feel the sun penetrate through my clothes and I felt comforted by its warmth. I closed my eyes as I listened to the background noise of people talking and children laughing. The animals seemed especially happy for it was an unusually beautiful day.
I opened my eyes and just then, a little girl about eight years old, passed by me. She held on to her father’s hand and I could tell in her eyes that her life was endowed with love. She was beautiful as I saw the richness of her interior through her eyes. Her eyes danced with innocence and beauty. I smiled at her and she quickly and tenderly smiled back at me. I watched her as she and her father passed by me. Then she turned once more to smile at me, as if to say, “Thank you for noticing me today. You’ve seen a treasure in me that I did not know I had. You’ve awakened in me an awareness of that which is around me and its beauty has enriched my life.” I smiled back with as much tenderness as she had just given me. Only a short moment passed when she, once again, turned to give me one more smile. I smiled back, nodded my head and waved my hand to her.
It was a beautiful and very meaningful moment. I held her close to my heart and prayed that God will keep her safe in His tender care. That she may know true happiness and come to understand, that the tears she will shed will bring deeper understanding of the mysteries that this life holds.
I could not help but think of all the children in the world whose eyes are dimmed with sorrow and the dance of joy cannot be seen. I thought of the many children who live in abuse and pain so unbearable, that the only thing they can do is to create an inward world where they can hide themselves in order to feel safe. They cannot express their loneliness and desperation, thus, only the streams of their tears that are shed in darkness, will keep life flowing for them.
Oh, how I long for these children to feel the safety, happiness and contentment of that little girl at the Zoo. Might they find peace and rest in their hearts as they carve out their own way in this life. Might they find understanding hearts and loving smiles to aid in their healing, as they dare to emerge from their very closed in world. May we all smile many tender smiles at others, since we know not on whose heart they may fall.
Viola Jaynes
