FREE Smiles - No Strings Really! :)

I promised to post a smile story from my recent stay in the hospital, and here it is.

This was my 4Th in patient stay at this hospital since I was diagnosed last August. Every time that I have been admitted I have brought smile pins, and other items, to spread smiles while I'm there. This time was no exception.

I had already given away several pins when I got a new nurse that came into my room and introduced herself. I could not quite put my finger on what was going on but there was something about the way she looked at and spoke to me that felt weird. I had never met this lady before so I couldn't understand what it could be. Anyway, I did NOT give her a smile pin during that first encounter because she was in and out in a flash, and the moment wasn't right.

A short while later she came back in (I don't remember what for) and just before she left I stopped her and asked "may I give you one of my smiles?" Her whole face lit up and she smiled effortlessly as she looked over the choices of pins. She picked one that she liked and put it on right away, but the story doesn't end there.

A little later on when she came in to go over a questionnaire with me, we had a chance to talk more. That's when I learned what was behind that "strange look" and attitude that I detected earlier. She told me that she had seen others wearing smile pins, and she thought that it would be necessary for her to come in to my room laughing, and smiling to "qualify" for one. That's not really her personality so she concluded that she would not get one. To her surprise I did give her one despite the very obvious lack of smiles on her part.

I really try to be non-judgemental when it comes to the pins, and other smile items, and to just share them with everyone I meet. I was very glad that in this particular case I did just that. I think it made a real impression on her. I also got to see that she was a very nice lady, and a wonderful nurse with a great life story. All that of came from a simple gesture of giving with no strings attached! :)