I say hello to people and give them a smile as I pass them on the street. I try to bring a little friendliness to everyone around me. If I’m having a bad day, it can help lift my spirits. My hope is that if they’re having a bad day I can lift their spirits.

I may be the only smile they see all day.

When I lived alone, I would take Metro to work, work all day and take Metro home. Besides the people I had to talk to at work I may not speak to another living soul all day. It alternated between lovely and lonely. So I did something small.

I started smiling and saying hello. Some people I saw needed a friendly face. Others needed a smile. Many days it was Me who needed a friendly face. And when you smile at someone, they often smile back.

I got my smiles by giving them away.

Smiles are free and the worst response I ever got was no getting a smile in return. It hasn’t cost me anything to say Hello. Smiles are priceless. Give more of them away and what you get back is more precious.