I was a college senior. I was in campus and I’ve just begun to cry, the reason for which is laughable now but was a huge deal for me at that time (A lot of things seemed catastrophic in college). Not wanting to make a fool of myself in public, I hurried to the girls’ washroom. There was no one around except a girl I didn’t know checking herself in the mirror. I ran past her and hid in the farthest cubicle. Only a few seconds later, I was surprised to hear someone knocking on the door of the cubicle. The girl apparently just couldn’t mind her own business ‘cause she was asking if I were ok. I opened the door halfway to tell her to leave me alone. But when she asked me what the matter was, I couldn’t speak and I burst into tears. She put her arms around me and my forehead fell to her shoulder. She let me cry. She, who was a complete stranger. She wasn’t someone I knew or whose face I can recall seeing around. I can’t even remember her face now. I didn’t see her again after that. But I remember her name: Stephanie. I also remember that when I got out of the girls’ washroom, I still made a fool of myself after all. But not because I was crying, but because I was smiling to myself as I walked alone, smiling a stupid smile. And praying a silent “thank you”. The Lord moves in mysterious ways, indeed.

We can do things to give comfort to others. We can stay up the whole night talking to them, listen to them rant, rub their back as they cry while spewing out cliché after cliché, listen to depressing music together. We can accompany them in shopping sprees or to chick flicks, binges on ice cream or beer. But every day, we have a chance to cheer people up without having to do much. Be a Stephanie for someone. It takes only a few muscles. We put on a smile, let it light up our eyes, and then allow it to do its magic; because sometimes a smile takes a life of its own. Where it jumps from one person to another, spreads around like an infectious disease. And maybe, most of the time I believe, it chances upon someone who really needs it at that precise moment. It can be the guy who stands in line behind you at the cafeteria, the girl who asks you for directions, or the client who just flew hundreds of miles, or went through hell in traffic, for a morning meeting.

You see, we lead not only with words but by actions. Smiling is an action, yes. But more than that, it is spirit. Let us lead by our spirit of cheerfulness. It’s easiest to follow and generally accomplishes the most.