Good Things Come in Small Packages

We have all had those days. You feel stressed. Sad. Angry. Frustrated. Betrayed. Under-rated. Taken-Advantaged of. Misled. Everything seems to be piling on your shoulders, stacking so high that it takes all your effort just to get out of bed in the morning.

These are the times happiness seems unreal. We are so consumed with what needs to happen in the future- the plan for the meeting tomorrow, the deadline for the end of the week- that we can’t see the difference from one day to the next. It all blends together. And the worse part of this is that we are waiting for happiness to come- that vacation in two months or the weekend plans. Of course those will be happy moments, but we always forget the now- happiness can happen every day.

I remember coming home from teaching while I was in Korea. It was probably 10PM on some Wednesday night. I felt tired, dispensable, over-worked and completely frustrated. I was sitting on the train, listening to my music, working myself up inside my head, when I noticed a reflection staring at me. It was a little boy, maybe 10 or 11 years old, just looking around curiously. I caught his eye and gave him a wave.

And he smiled.

Not a small, intimidated smile, but this huge, bright smile that lit up the train.

I could tell that this little boy was not like the children I had been teaching all day. There was something there inside of him that would always make life a challenge. Yet, his smile was so innocent and sweet, there was nothing I could do but return the favor.

As quick as he smiled, he was gone after a few stops. But in those moments, I had forgotten my problems because of a kid who smiled like this was the moment he had been waiting for. With a complete stranger!

It was that smile that helped me realize that the smallest gestures between people can have a tremendous effect on our days.

In these small acts, we can forget about all our worries even for a moment to enjoy what life has to offer and to give us a better point of view from where we stand. Instead of looking forward to that dream vacation or weekend plans, we can focus on each day and our daily interactions with people to bring out the real happiness life offers.