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| Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash |
The American boy Jaden Hayes is seven years old and has several reasons to be sad: he was orphaned by a father at the age of four and his mother recently died of a sudden illness.
Despite this, there are no tears on the face of the little one who, even though misses his parents, embraced the daily mission of making people smile.
"Why are people always sad?", he asked his aunt, Barbara, with whom he lives.
With the intention of collecting smiles and spreading joy wherever he goes, he started buying rubber duckies and other small toys to handle them over to people with sad expressions. He convinced his aunt to buy a bag full of toys and accompany him on tours of downtown Savannah, Georgia, where they live.
When giving toys to people, they usually ask what it is about and the boy explains: It's for you to smile!
No one who can resist the proposal and the charming smile they receive from the boy. The reactions are diverse, but some in particular deeply touch those who witness the spontaneous gesture.
In the project, called The Smile Experiment, Jaden has already achieved around five hundred smiles and has an ambitious goal: thirty-three thousand others.
In interviews, the boy expresses that he suffers and misses his mother a lot, but it is clear that he has learned to live with this pain in a very special way.
The aunt says that the smiles he receives and the hugs he gives have done him very well in this process of dealing with his parents' absence.
A lesson for all of us, certainly.
Why are we always sad?
But why are we always sad? It was the question of that brave and inspired heart.
Why do we allow ourselves to be so easily overwhelmed by the problems of our lives, to the point that even a small event, an argument or a frustration would generate a state of discouragement and sadness?
Why do we value so much reasons for crying, when reasons for smiling are so numerous in life?
Why do we carry a frown, eyes worried, as if living were a great burden?
Many of us have serious issues to deal with. We face difficult challenges in the family, at work, we need material support. However, is life just that? Is it impossible to live a better little even with all these struggles?
Yes, it is possible. However, there are no magic formulas.
Final Thoughts
Each of us must find strength in our intimacy. Some will go around looking for smiles, understanding that the more we give, the more we receive, and the happier we become.
Others will find a secure base in the connection with a larger energy, understanding that the Universe is governed by perfect laws and that the One we call Father, is a deeply loving intelligence.
Still others will recognize these two as fundamental supports to move forward.
Don't give up! There will be a day when sadness will give way to happiness and our hearts will be filled with love and joy.
