Every day is a good day. There is something to learn, care and celebrate.
— Amit Ray (b. 1960) Indian author and teacher
It was a busy, heavy traffic morning (as usual) driving to work in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. A yellow school bus pulled in front of me. I was dismayed. It is hard to see around them and it is also difficult to see the traffic lights above them. Before long, we stopped at a traffic light near the Vulcan statue. [As a side note: Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue. It is made of 100,000 pounds of iron and is fifty-six feet tall. He stands atop Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. Vulcan is the Roman god of fire and forge, and ironworking equipment. This reflects the city’s roots in the iron and steel industry.]
When the bus stopped at the light, their left turn signal came on, so I stayed a bit back . . . just because it’s a bus and there was a slight incline in the road. I did not want the bus to roll back and hit me. After a few seconds, the kids on the back rows leaned over to the large, middle window and waved to me. I waved back and smiled.
Then a few moments later, they held up a note pad and pressed it into the back window. I saw something written on the white, lined page. I was too far back to read the message and I was hesitant to pull forward. My mind raced for a moment wondering if they had written something obscene or embarrassing.
My desire to be friendly (especially to children) outweighed the risk—that perhaps they wanted to provoke me or be silly. I pulled up close enough to read the note. They had written: “Have a good day.” I smiled and waved back acknowledging their friendly message. This was certainly surprising and I never expected this random act of kindness.
I smiled all day thinking of these sweet children . . . of their innocence and glee for a new day—and, their desire to pass on good thoughts to a total stranger. Sometimes, for me, each day is “just another day” with work and chores. Their waves and well-wishes made my day better. Hopefully, it encouraged me to makes those around me have a better day. After all, a smile and a friendly word cost nothing. That is a minimal gesture that anyone can provide to everyone they meet during the day.
Use your smile to change the world but don’t let the world change your smile.
— Unknown
When you’re wide awake, say it for goodness sake, it’s gonna be a great day.
— Paul McCartney (b. 1942) English singer, songwriter, and musician
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