Gift a smile today.

It can change a life.

My father was a wise man. Even though he faced many physical challenges on a daily basis, he made it a habit to smile.

He was a staunch believer in Puerto Rico’s independence from the United States. The political party that advocates for the island’s sovereignty gets between 3-5 percent of the vote, and sometimes not enough to remain registered for the next election.

Every four years, the leaders of the Puerto Rico Independence Party recycle executive and legislative nominations among a few usual suspects that compose their party’s oligarchy.

One particular election year, my father told me he would not vote. The gubernatorial candidate for that year was an intelligent, well-educated, exemplary orator that had previously served various terms as senator in the party’s musical chair political game.

“Why won’t you vote?” –I asked.

“Because he never smiles. Have you ever seen him smiling?” --my dad asked.

He did not have to say anything else.

Since that day, I have steered clear from people that do not smile. You may want to do the same.

While it is true that many people wear fake smiles, most often than not you can see through them. You realize that the smile is nothing but a facade for a myriad of possibilities. It does not elicit any emotion in you.

Then there are those smiles that come from the heart. Smiles so contagious that they spread throughout the face all the way to the eyes. Smiles that convey God’s grace, even in the most dire of circumstances.

Watch out for those that do not smile, for it is not lack of happiness but lack of sincerity that keeps them from the instinctive, involuntary and sometimes even uncontrollable act of smiling. Look at pictures of people you know. Look at their smiles or lack thereof. You will be amazed at your discoveries.

Smiling is a great antidote to the gloom that seems so pervasive these days. I practice smiling as often as I can, even if tears happen to be running down my cheeks. Smiling has the inherent capacity to dry them out.

Today try to make it a point to smile at everyone, even random strangers. Your selfless smile may even save a life.

In hindsight, I now realize that it is likely my father had additional grounds to dislike that candidate who was personally known to him. I am thankful that my Dad was prudent enough as to not to tell me the whole truth as to his aversion to him. He knew it was not necessary to tell the whole truth to get his point across.

Sometimes, the best word is the one that goes unspoken.

If this post made you smile, please share it.