This week, I chose a Dear KOM email that I read at just the right moment. Our awesome contributor has agreed to have his name posted, and I hope you all get what you need out of this. I know I did.
Dear KOM,
I love smiles for lots of reasons. Some smiles are big, bright and beautiful and are filled with self-assurance and confidence. Others have a hint of shyness, but glow with lots of hope and optimism. Smiles can be understood by everyone. There is no language barrier. They convey an immediate message to the recipient. Smiles encourage positive, verbal communication, which often leads to healthy, productive interaction between human beings. They provide a basis for positive thinking and growth, and thus are of tantamount importance to life. Smiles also involve humour, another very important ingredient in the development of human relations.
But I really like smiles because they are so simple and uncomplicated, and provide a very welcome distraction to such a high tech world. The message smiles often deliver just say very simply: I like you and I hope you like me. Perhaps we can be friends. Isn’t that a very precious aspect of life?
Brian D. Bailey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Brian,
I love this piece in general, but when I came back to it yesterday morning, I really needed a smile. No reason in particular, just one of those “woke up on the wrong side of the bed” days that we all have. Reading your piece made me smile, and as you may or may not know, it has been scientifically proven that the act of smiling legitimately enhances one’s mood! Just what the Dr. ordered!
Working on this post reminded me of some of my favorite smiles. I have a *small* sun obsession (I’m talking sun decor in my home, love of sunny vaca – the whole sha-bang!), and was able to find this fabulous smiling sun picture for the post! That made me smile more.
When I started thinking about my favorite smiles, I remembered the 5 year old son of some of my closest friends. He used to say “Sahm-Oh” (a sweet toddler’s word for smile) when you took his picture a few years ago, and that memory definitely made me smile.
As I write this, I’m smiling organically. It’s not forced and it’s not fake. Don’t ya just love the power of a great story?
Thanks for being on this journey with me.
?, Lara
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear KOM is an opportunity for all of you to write to me with any questions, comments, curiosities, stories, etc. ANYTHING you want to share! Every Saturday, I will choose 1 Dear KOM email and respond to or share it here!
~See an awesome news story or quote that you know KOM readers would enjoy? Bring it on!
~Have a question for me, about me or about Kind Over Matter? Hit me!
~Want a little free (and yes, we can ABSOLUTELY make any part of this anonymous) advice about something from a total stranger? I’m ready.
Consider this a wide open door. Bring on the questions, stories of love, sharing, and advice seeking. Bring it here.
Simply email KOMWriting@gmail.com and put Dear KOM in the subject line. That’s it! I will respond to the email that will be featured that coming Saturday so that we can work out any little details. Don’t worry if your email doesn’t get a response in the same week – I have a hunch that I’ll feature it in the future, and will contact you when it’s your week!
Share your stories, questions and general awesomeness. I promise, it will benefit everyone.