One Smile

Prefect Erica (Year 12) reflects on the quiet power of a smile – from the proud beam of a friend to the brave face we put on when things are tough, and challenges her peers to brighten their community one small act of kindness at a time.

Each week, our students share their insights with their peers in Assembly.

Smiles are a universal sign of happiness. A smile is so simple yet can make such a difference.

One of my favourite quotes for as long as I can remember has always been “With just one smile you can make someone’s day”. A smile is far more than it appears. It holds millions of different meanings and impacts depending on if you are the one sharing or receiving them.

There’s the bright beaming smile of a friend making you laugh, the proud mum smile of seeing people you love do well, the small internal self-smile when you reach your own ambitions and goals, the friendly greeting of a peer in passing, the competitive laughter of a sports match. The list goes on and on.

In addition to this, there is also the cover smile: the brave face we all put on when it’s just been one of those days; the “hey I’m totally okay” smile, even if you’re not. And believe me, you’re not alone in this. It is okay not to be okay and you don’t have to smile every day … but here is where the receiving end comes in. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again - you never know the battles a person is facing on a particular day. That’s why the small act of kindness of a simple smile, a “hi” and an “it’s so good to see you”, makes that difference. Let your smile change someone’s day.

Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to have an Italian exchange student come and stay with me. There is no better way to describe her than as a ray of sunshine. She made the most of every second she was here. She was always so positive, so full of joy, so uplifting towards everyone. Her smile alone brought a whole new wave of happiness not only to my life, but the lives of everyone around her. Because with just one smile you can make someone’s day. And you best believe, her smile didn’t just make my day, or my week, but the full two years of knowing her and quite possibly the rest of my life.

So, here is where I set a challenge. In the spirit of the Prefect initiative “to give more is to grow more”, I challenge all of you to give a few more smiles during your day. Smile to the people you recognise in the halls and to those you don’t, because what better way to grow our Wenona community than to start with the small connections that brighten the hallways and the traffic jams over the garden bridge. Smile and say good morning or afternoon to your teachers at the beginning and end of each lesson, smile and say thank you to the bus driver, the lollipop person, to your parents and siblings and your friends.

Smile, because you can, or as my dentist says, “smile while you’ve still got teeth,” because hey, “you’re never fully dressed without a smile”.