Smile

Each week on Thursday I have breakfast with my dear friend Sheldon Bernstein. We eat at a local diner mid point between our homes. On the way there I pass many drivers traveling the opposite direction. I can’t help but notice seeing their faces, some look half awake. Some are texting on their cell phones. Some deep in thought. Some glancing at me as I am at them. None of them show a smile. The same thing I notice of those along side and behind me. All are in a hurry jockeying to maneuver in front of the other with a look of hostility and nervousness as though they will miss some opportunity to be ahead of the group. 

When I arrive at the diner, there is my friend with a big smile on his face. As we enter the diner, the owners, a husband and wife, greet us with their welcoming smile. All who we see at the diner receive the same greeting. A bright smile, a good morning and a quick fill of the coffee cup!

When Shell and I finish our breakfast we sit a while and talk about the kids and the family. It has become a ritual from week to week and I have come to see how important it is to me and how much I learn about my friend and myself. We recall the many memories of past times as the kid we were growing up. It is a gift to have such a relationship!

When I leave the diner I usually follow Shell out of the parking lot and drive a distance behind him, recapping our conversation in my mind. Each thought brings a smile to my face. 

It is a pity that smiles are so under rated, for they open our hearts to a wonderful place for those who share them.