The Best Button Business
I don’t remember which movie this is from, or honestly what the exact quote from the movie is anyways, but it’s something along the lines of: “Goofy’s the new groovy.” Or something like that. (Leave me a comment if you can tell me which movie this is from lol!). Essentially, being goofy is totally the way to go. And, I really do think that goofiness - and consequently laughter and smiling - is the best medicine.
When is the last time you really laughed? I mean really laughed? Years ago now, I remember going to an arts and crafts fair at the school I was teaching at at the time. One of my students at the school had a table with tons of different buttons and ribbons and gizmos and gadgets. It was adorable. And one little button on the table had a cactus on it (I love cactuses, abnormally so lol). It was green and spunky and had the most amazing saying on it, that is - quite honestly - so profound. It said: “Smile. Why? Because you can.”
I hesitate to think that an 11 year old came up with that statement. And yet, a preteen may very well have plausibly come up with that herself. It really is such a bold and beautiful truth. We can smile, and we can really appreciate what a smile means. It means joy, gratitude, connection with others. It means we’re listening to someone when they bring us joy, it means we’re engaged and happy to be with them. It means contentment and peace. It means energy and excitement.
I really have to wonder sometimes - this may seem silly - but really, how many times a day do we smile? I just now did a quick Google search (who knows if this is true, I was just curious lol): 40-50 times a day. Whereas - get this - children smile upwards of 400 times a day!! Again, not sure if this science is accurate, but that in and of itself speaks to why this 11 year old’s button business may have been on to something.
I met with a woman from my new church today for afternoon coffee (the best Kansas coffee!), and I told her that I love children. She has five children, and she told me: “Honestly, Anna, loving (or not loving) children reveals a lot about the heart.”
Don’t get me wrong: you can dislike children; there’s no judgment here with that. However, my challenge to you might be then, what do we all have to learn from the kiddos in our lives? Or the children we see out and about in our daily lives? Why is it that a child in my class, sweetheart that she is, say to me multiple days in a row at the top of her (indoor voice) lungs: “This is the best day ever!!" Woooo!!”? How come kids smile more than adults, if this science is really real? What does being able to smile say about us? How does our smiling impact others? How does it fuel our joy, our hope, even our faith? The joy, hope, and faith of others?
I’m just a woman who likes to ponder. And I guess sometimes I might be on to some things. Just like I’ve mentioned before in my About page, we’re truly on an incredible adventure in this life. And…the best adventure (Heaven) is yet to come! Smile today! Why, you might ask? Because you can. :) And those smiles you give in to might very well lead you to deeper, richer joy, an appreciation for life more fully, and - just maybe - bring others into that beauty as well.
