The last time I visited my eightythreeyearold motherinlaw, I asked how she was feeling. It's a valid question. She has, after all, had two knee replacements and a liver transplant. She moves slowly to avoid another fall.
But she hasn't stopped moving. She and my fatherinlaw attended their first Jimmy Buffet concert this summer. Here's the thing about my inlaws: They never say no to an invitation or a new adventure. If they can make it work, they're willing to try just about anything. When we need them to come to stay with the kids, we have to get on their calendars far in advance.
When asked how she was feeling, my motherinlaw responded, "Well, everything hurts every day. But you know what I've discovered? It doesn't hurt to smile. So that's what I've decided to do... smile at everyone I see. I may not be able to do all the things I used to do, but I can at least brighten someone's day."
It is such simple wisdom. Moving the focus from what we don't have and from what we've lost to what we can offer others is the difference between living in the dark and radiating light. They inspire us daily.
The key to a life worth living, I think, is to change our views. You don't have to make great changes. Sometimes change looks similar to everyday kindness. Sometimes change begins with holding the door for a mother with an armful of groceries.
In theory, the butterfly effect says that the smallest breeze(微风) from a butterfly's wing can change the path of a hurricane halfway. Imagine, then, the possibilities that exist within a single smile.
