Change The World

To change the world, change yourself. Be what you want to see in the world.

This story shows the truth of that sentiment. How important is a smile?

A friend of mine works at a large hospital. Every day she drives past the valet parking, and a young attendant with a perpetual frown. One day my friend stopped and said, "Hello Sunshine!" She did this daily, and eventually received a smile in return. Over time they talked, and developed a casual friendship. The attendant has 5 kids, and lives with her mom. As school was about to start, my friend bought some pens, paper, and some fun back-to-school supplies for the kids. Her new friend was overwhelmed with the gift and broke into tears. "No crying - we both have to work!" my friend said through her tears.

My friend works for the head of Oncology Nursing. One day at a meeting one of the doctors said, "Hey, you know, one of the parking attendants has really changed. She's become so friendly, patients are noticing and feeling special because of her treatment."

The valet attendant told my friend, "you are the first white person who has ever smiled at me." This made my friend mist up, and she replied "If you smiled at them, maybe they would smile back." Some time later the valet told her, "Hey, I followed your advice. I started smiling at everyone - and you know, now there are a whole lot of white people who smile at me!"

If you ever think you don't matter, think again. One person, a few minutes a day. She has affected one woman's life, no doubt the lives of her children and her mother, and that woman now has a positive affect on the lives of innumerable cancer patients.

One person, one smile. Be yourself. Be happy. Be the change you want to see in the world.