I always wake up every single morning happy to be a parrot. I mean, would you ever want to be anything else? We’re beautiful and clever; agile and dexterous. Yes, being a parrot is a real joy.
There is, however, one thing that humans can do which parrots can’t. And that is to smile. Yes, having a hard beak makes smiling impossible, so we have to improvise by presenting our heads at funny angles to show we’re being submissive and friendly.
Apparently, humans have to use twelve different muscles to smile so there’s a little bit of an effort involved. But a smile can achieve so many different things. It can break the ice, bridge the gap, brighten a dull day, reassure a friend, welcome a stranger and make everyone feel included. Smiling is an international language which cuts through cultural, ethnic and language barriers. And a smile is a living expression of God’s kindness; it’s an expression of love; it’s a special gift to the recipient and a beautiful thing in its own right.
Scientists say that the average adult human smiles around 20 times a day, and that an average human chick can smile up to 400 times a day. Yes, a human smile is something very special, and a means of releasing God’s love into the world. And boy does our world need to be flooded with God’s love. So, count your blessings and let God smile through you as you go about your day!
“Always wear a smile, because your smile is a reason for many others to smile.”
(Winnie The Pooh)
“A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose.”
(Tom Wilson: [1931 – 2011]: American cartoonist)
“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing……….Peace begins with a smile.”
(Mother Teresa: [1910 – 1997]: Catholic nun and missionary who dedicated her life to caring for the poor and needy in Calcutta, India and beyond).
“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
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