SMILE

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 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 a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband,

youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp

March morning. It was just our way of sharing special

playtime with our son. We were standing in line,

waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone

around us began to back away, and then even my husband

did. I did not move an inch...an overwhelming feeling

of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why

they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a

horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind

me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me,

he was "smiling". His beautiful sky blue eyes were

full of God's 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 deficient and the blue eyed gentleman

was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there

with them. The young lady 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 and warm up, they had to buy something. He

just wanted to be warm). 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

set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked

the young lady behind the counter to give me two more

breakfast meals on a separated 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 gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said,

"Thank you." I leaned over, began to pat his hand and

said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working

through me to give you hope." I started to cry 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 Grace that we had been

given were we able to give. We are not churchgoers,

but we are believers. That day showed me the pure

Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class,

with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and

the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and

said, "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 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.