Tag Archive for: laugh

Smile

I am not too certain what it is about missionaries, but they are always smiling!
Being with them yesterday, reminded me of an experiment I conducted some years ago.
It was to ๐’”๐’Ž๐’Š๐’๐’† ๐’‚๐’• ๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’š๐’๐’๐’†!
When at home back then, I walked our dog (Fawn) early one afternoon in the “Glen” in Dunfermline.
A perfect time to experiment!
Setting off, school kids were at lunch – they gave me some unusual looks in response.
I bumped into an old friend I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. We talked, laughed and shared many memories.
Next, I met a young family feeding the squirrels, we smiled and they commented about the beauty of the Glen and we struck up a lovely conversation.

Ball throwing time.

Fawn was delighted!
Other dog owners joined in.
Further conversation ensued!
Next – tourists from Gent, Belgium. I practised my Dutch – it was great! We talked and smiled at our language skills.
Finally, nearing home again as I smiled, I received a smile or a cheerful comment in return.
In fact, with the exception of the school kids, everyone I made eye contact with, when I smiled at them, they smiled back or shared a positive greeting.
The results were astonishing!
I was happier, more relaxed, more positive and somehow more approachable.
I loved the walk.
I realised the great power of a smile.
Wearing a SMILE everyday brightens someone’s day.
โ€œGo forward in life with a smile on your face, a sparkle in your eyes, and with great and strong purpose in your heart. The best things in life are the people in your life, the moments we live, and memories we made along the way.โ€ Gordon B. Hinckley
As a child growing up in church, I learned this little song:
โ€œIf you chance to meet a frown, do not let it stay.
Quickly turn it upside down and smile that frown away.
No one likes a frowning face. Change it for a smile.
Make the world a better place by smiling all the while.โ€
Why not conduct your own experiment today and pass on your smile!

Oops!

๏ผฏ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ“๏ผ
Yesterday, after a busy morning at Schiphol Airport to say farewell to a number of departing missionaries, followed by the arrival of the Kempenaers family to pick up their son Jorne, we decided to take a walk to clear our heads and catch our breathโ€ฆ
Heading towards the Vliet, we found that it was completely frozen over.
Although, there was also a clear indication that a boat or two had snaked through the ice.
It was a delightful, albeit chilly walk into town, to pick up one or two groceries.
It was nice to chat too with Matalyn Weaver, who is staying with us for a couple of days before returning home on Monday.
Eventually, we arrived back home.
And then it happenedโ€ฆ.!
I reached into my pocket to get the keys for the front door.
๐Ž๐Ž๐๐’!
Somehow, Iโ€™d managed to pick up the wrong keysโ€ฆ
I am not certain how many times over the last 18 months Iโ€™ve given missionaries a hard time about forgetting their housekeys.
It is a regular occurrence!
Weekly, if not daily for many!
And now it had happened to meโ€ฆ โ˜น
Of course, it just had to be the coldest day of winter too.
Well, departures week is always a rollercoaster of emotions for me โ€“ for sure. At least thatโ€™s my excuse!!
With no spare key, I had to make a rather embarrassing call to the Assistants to come to our rescue.
They smiled and laughed.
In fact โ€“ they smiled and laughed โ€“ a lot!
To be fair โ€“ we laughed tooโ€ฆ.!
Luckily, they live only 15 minutes away and it wasnโ€™t too long before they arrived and saved us from the chilly winter weather.
And the moral of todayโ€™s story โ€“ perhaps I should have heeded my own advice, to โ€œslow down!โ€
Laughter is a great medicine.
When did you last make a silly mistake?

Don’t forget to laugh!

A fun experience from Belgium last week.
Departing our hotel room, on the second floor, fully loaded down with all our luggage, we arrived at the lift.
Our unspoken plan was to take the lift to the ground floor reception and checkout.
The visual indicator showed that the lift was on the ground floor โ€œ0.โ€
We both looked at the lift call buttons and independently of each other, we pushed the call buttons.
One button pointed upwards, the other button pointed downwards.
One of us pushed up, the other pushed down.
Quizzically, we looked at one another, thinking โ€œWhy did you do that?โ€
Do you remember the classic book on communication styles, โ€œMen are from Mars, Women are from Venusโ€ by John Gray?
The book highlights the key differences between how men and women think, act, and communicate.
I must admit โ€“ that was my first thought as we stood waiting on the lift to arrive.
We turned to one another again and laughed!
It was a silly moment, but one that highlighted the simple differences between our thinking.
Stepping into the lift, we did finally arrive at our destination, after a short detour upwards, to the third floor!
After 28 years of marriage, our conclusion is thisโ€ฆ
No two people ever see all things precisely the same!
Understanding and appreciating one anotherโ€™s differences is the key to healthy relationships.
And donโ€™t forget to laugh โ€“ often!! ๐Ÿ˜…
๐€๐ซ๐ž ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐š๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก?