by <Name Withheld>

I am a junior at Emory University studying economics. I am heavily involved with on campus extracurriculars, especially in the realms of student government. I believe in smiling, and the beauty of the life we have been blessed with.

I believe in smiles. Soft smiles, Cheesing, laughing, smirks. Full teeth and just the lips. Every smile of all shapes and sizes. Diagnosable by that upward tug at the corners of your mouth, the slight eye crinkle.

Numerous scientific studies have linked smiling to increased dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, the neurotransmitters responsible for happiness and stress responses. The results: lower heart rates, decreased blood pressure, decreased muscle tension (the body relaxing), and even increased immune system responses. In other words, smiling is scientifically healthy for you.

That’s not why I believe in smiling.

I believe in smiling because of the way it connects us as humans.

I attribute almost all of the friends I have made though out life due to smiling. Even the most crotchety old man can be reached and softened with a nice smile and a simple hello.

I don’t have a particular story about one smile that changed my world because I’ve been blessed to see a variety of smiles, across all walks of life. Each of them has brightened my days. Each smile has made my life better.

Here’s a few from the past days that have been particularly impactful:

The smile of my best friend as he put his glasses back on after getting a haircut and could see himself, and his new haircut, clearly in the mirror. A self confident smile, content with life and proud of the moment.

The smile I exchanged with a random member of the Emory administration at the unveiling event for the new Student Center, as we both marveled at the beautiful space and fun ceremonies. A smile of camaraderie and shared experience.

The smile on my face, mirrored on the face of a good friend, as we recognized each other walking toward each other on the sidewalk. A smile of recognition, of friendship, of joy at our past experiences and potential future.

The smile of a girl as she held the door open for me at the library, and I said thank you. A smile of strangers, doing nice for each other.

When I smile at others I can see them, even if for just a moment, pick their chin up and put their shoulders back, and stand proud and smile back. It is, in my experience, a near universal response to an unexpected smile.

When others smile at me, it makes me feel valued and seen. It conveys a sense of happiness, and it makes me want to smile back.

Smiles are contagious and irresistible, communicating without words the abundant fun in our collective experience, the limitless bounds of happiness. Smiles are universal, the only currency accepted in any corner of the world, the only language spoken across every border. Like beams of moonlight, smiles illuminate what they touch, and, are by their very nature, a reflection of prior illumination.

I smile to pass on the light shown to me, to connect with others, and to remind myself of the simple joy of living.