Can You Remember the Last Time a Stranger Did Something Nice for You?

A strange but lovely little girl gave me a huge smile on the subway a few days ago. It was like her smile was intended to cheer me up after a rather rough time at work. Maybe my face displayed gloominess, I do not really know. I had a book open on my lap, but instead of reading it I was staring ahead of me, thinking about everything I had to get done before the weekend.

I noticed a movement to the side and when I looked in that direction I saw the little girl with two thin pigtails and a pink fluffy bag, looking directly at me. Suddenly she gave me a big, bright smile. Just like that! How could you not smile back? I did and immediately I felt better.

It is amazing how one reassuring smile from someone you have never seen before can wash away frustration and restlessness in a matter of seconds. The rest of the way the girl and I played a game called “What’s in your purse?” It went like this: first the girl would take a toy out of her purse and show it to me, next I had to do the same. Sadly, the content of my purse was hardly as exciting as hers, but the game went on for quite a while. When I stepped out of the subway, whatever was stressing me out was still there, but my frustration was gone. I was smiling and maybe my smile brightened up someone else’s day as well.