Rebirth: Smiling Back
05.13.23 | 55105
For reflection:
How is rebirth a time of reflection?
How is rebirth a time of action?
How does rest contribute to rebirth?
Feeling a sense of renewal can bring about memories from the past and glimpses of the future. When have you experienced this dichotomy?
A few weeks ago in Minnesota, the world opened up. The sun appeared, most of the snow melted, snow boots went away, and tank tops came out. It was a beautiful 70 degrees for a few days. And on those days, I (like every other Minnesotan) made my way outside to enjoy the sunshine.
I have never been someone who spent all my time outdoors in the summer. But the truth is that the older I get, the more I appreciate it. And the more I appreciate it, the more I recognize the ways it positively impacts my attitude, productivity, and overall sense of contentment.
One of those April days, I enjoyed a beautiful walk - one of those walks where you look around at the world around you and truly notice - you see the sunbeams between the houses, you hear the birds chirping, you smell the fresh earth as it emerges from beneath the melting snow. I, like many of those around me, was genuinely happy. So happy, in fact, that if you saw me that day, you probably saw all my teeth as I grinned at the fortune of a sunny April day.
And there was a moment on that walk when a little girl in a stroller, pushed by her mother, wheeled toward me on the sidewalk. There was another couple walking close by me, and as the little girl approached, she grinned and laughed as she shouted, “it’s summer!” Her mother smiled at me and the couple, and we all exchanged grins and laughs similar to that of the little girl. Those grins and laughs acknowledged a truth for all of us - that it had been a long winter, and that the coming of the spring gave us something to be excited about. Something to be grateful for.
That exchange reminded me of the beauty of returning to a communal world after being stuck inside and isolated for far too long. It reminded me not only of the happiness felt when the sun hits your skin, but of the contentment felt when you see the smiles on others’ faces, too.
It is within our power to see the beauty of our communal existence - we just have to choose to see it. To smile, and to let that smile meet someone else’s gaze.
Who have you seen smile lately? Did you smile back?
Until next time, friends.