Smile with your Eyes: Kindness Shines through your Mask

26 Jul Smile with your Eyes: Kindness Shines through your Mask

Smile under that mask and your eyes will show it.

Back in the day…

In my pageant days my mom advised me to “Smile with your eyes.” As a former Miss Michigan she had a bit of experience with this. While it felt awkward and fake at first, I found a certain bliss in beaming out happiness from my eyes. She told me to imagine, “Why are all these beautiful people looking at me?” While I found that to be laying it on a bit thick, I am rethinking it now decades later.

Over the years…

I have enjoyed random fleeting seconds with strangers exchanging brief smiles as gift of kindness. And I am desperately missing this as we move in to the next right thing to do during this pandemic: wearing masks everywhere we go.

And now…

We are redefining the whole idea of wearing a mask, not the hiding our true selves and all that psychology stuff. We literally are wearing physical masks. And now the simple niceties of smiling at a stranger have all but disappeared behind the masks. And I find it eerie.

So now, “Smile with your eyes” has taken on a whole new meaning for me. How can I spread joy with a mask covering 1/2 my face? Well, I’m trying…

As I took an extra moment at the grocery store to smile and pause to lock eyes with the checkout lady, she handed me my receipt and started to look away…but I held the space–just for an extra split second. She did a double take and her eyes widened as if to say, “Thank you for seeing me.” I sensed an indescribable gratitude in her gaze. She seemed almost touched. Or perhaps I was. Or perhaps I’m projecting.

Regardless…

I’m going to revive my practice of smiling with my eyes as my mother taught me. Will you join me?

I have to guess there really are a lot of beautiful people looking back at you.

About Lea: https://www.lealittle.com/career/