Give A Smile

“‘Tis the season to be jolly!” Christmas is the season of giving, which is the very essense of the spirit of Jesus Christ – who’s birth we celebrate. What better opportunity to give kindness, and participate in a little “Smile Experiment”? Recently I stumbled onto a website called HelpOthers.org. As I read stories shared by average people performing or receiving random acts of kindness, my heart swelled with happiness. The website offers downloadable “smile cards” for free that you can use when giving anonymous service. After a few minutes visiting this website, I realized I couldn’t stop smiling! Which, in fact, is the goal of this non-profit, non-denominational, honest-for-goodness website – encouraging people just like you and me to practice the principle of “Generosity”.

“Kindness has many synonyms—love, service, charity. But I like the word kindness because it implies action. It seems like something you and I can do. Kindness can be shown in so many ways. My favorite examples of kindness come from what Jesus did. He spent his ministry searching for the weary, the sick, the poor, and the lonely, that he might show kindness toward them. . . No act of kindness is ever wasted. You cannot do a kindness too soon. Acting kindly can change the giver and the receiver for good.” – Betty Jo Jepson, Kindness A Part of God’s Plan, LDS General Conference Oct. 1990