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| Olive Mbagwu |
“A Smile to live for”
***** The first flower was tiny yet
magnificent. Alone but utterly transformational to life on Earth, it was the
very first of its kind. Along came a curious beetle looking to soothe its
hunger. The pollen of the very first flower, this enlightened being, stuck to
the curious beetle and spread to other plants during the beetles many travels.
And with that, many more plants were enlightened, many more beetles became
messengers of this new beauty, and the world was transformed forever. ****
……..
The heat was on; the SIFE now enactus national competition was fast
approaching, we were counting down. As the defending champions the presentation
rehearsals were intense, I was in the crew and giving my very best was so not
negotiable.
Juggling
between classes, tests, practical reports, presentation rehearsals, project
executions and my own personal activities were quite exhausting, as a matter of
fact just two weeks before these few days to go I started feeling ill and was
subsequently diagnosed of typhoid fever and I was still on my medications. All
I truly needed ethically, medically and otherwise was just REST!!!!!!!!!!!!! On
the contrary I was in the midst of a lot of things at the same time.
“It was more about a time in my life when I
hardly had a reason to smile”
“When I was young, I smiled at practically everything …... from slap-stick
cartoons to a new toy to a warm hug to a cheery compliment. Then somewhere
between adolescence and adulthood, I started to grin less often, I became all
to serious that comics and jokes hardly made any sense let alone make me smile
until one day I was bluntly told by some close pals that I had no sense of
humour”!
One day I sat alone on a stump beside of a popular walk way, I just wanted to be on my own and observe the scenery and the possible scenarios I could picture. Just a few minutes later, an acquaintance walking by coincidentally looked my way and saw me. At that moment two things were involved; turn away from his familiar gaze and act like I didn’t see him because I really I wasn’t in the mood, he would perhaps assume I was not the one and would walk pass OR …… smile back @ him and have him cross over to where I was sitting, who knows it would just be cool to ease off and just talk to someone. Trust me I didn’t even have much time to go over this. Before my brain cells could finally get back to me on that decision, I had already smiled and he was already making for where I was sitting. While we were exchanging pleasantries I had to courteously keep smiling from my lips, but guess what? With his warm and infectious but gentle sense of humour, in just some minutes to follow I could feel my zygomatic muscles raise the corners of my mouth, as well as my orbicularis oculi muscles which lifted my cheeks and formed crow's-feet that were contracting simultaneously. (That’s the physiological description of a smile, a deep sincere hearty one at that) *add smiley lolz*
Truly that kind of smile is the only one with major mood-boosting benefits. @ that point straight from my heart I found reasons to beam with smiles although it was more like dancing with someone who was waltzing and I was doing the Cha-Cha, but honestly it was a starting point for the things that now genuinely makes the reward regions of my brain light up in response to all the beautiful things that I am grateful for no matter what’s going on in my life.
Finding that genuine connection to my smile bud again has been a better beauty makeover than revamping my wardrobe or splurging on an expensive hairdo. At this point in my life every beautiful thing is a reason for a smile.
That simple upward curve of my mouth is the priceless reason I am a healthier and happier person.
***
Consider this for a moment…
The
very first flower is friendship.
You
are the curious little beetle, looking for something to soothe your soul.
And by
spreading smiles everywhere you go, you change the
world, whether you realise it or not.
Just
as the beetle didn’t know it was leaving a trail of pollen that would lead to a
world full of colour, healing and the most beautiful aromas, you can leave a
trail of miracles and love everywhere
you go. The beetle sprinkled bliss on plants, you can change lives with the power of your smile.
And
the more people who spread smiles, the more love there will be to share.
Who
knows? Maybe one day, the truth of love won’t be so rare anymore; maybe it
will be as vivid as a poppie, as resilient as a lotus, and as easy to come by
as a daisy.
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