100 SMILES

A smile costs nothing but means everything.

The International Day of Happiness falls on the 20^th of March. How can we spread happiness on this day? Was our question.

What is happiness to you? Is it spending time with your friends or family? Is it helping out someone in need? Or is it simply the thought of having your favorite meal? Whatever you may be thinking of, I’m certain you’re thinking of it with a smile on your face. Thus, we found our answer, let’s do a project to make someone smile, better yet make 100 people smile. After all what better way is there to celebrate a day devoted to Happiness than celebrating your smile?

So we decided to go that extra mile and present to you Project 100 smiles in celebration of the International Day of Happiness. We took this opportunity to walk along the streets of Colombo and Galle Face Green, witness, and capture the beautiful smiles of people belonging to different age groups, different social backgrounds, different ethnicities, proving that no matter who you are or where you’re from, your smile is one of a kind, and something you should be proud of.

We were there at around 4 pm, not as many people around because of the pandemic situation. We were about to start walking only to realize that the camera is there but the memory card isn’t! While our President and VP brothers rode off to find one, the rest of us were eyeing people around us that might give us permission to capture their smiles. Once they returned, we started our ‘smile hunting’, if you will. It wasn’t as hard as we thought it would be. Smiles were everywhere. We just needed to capture them in the right moment, with their consent of course. Smiles alone, as a couple, as a group, all were captured as all were just wonderful in their own unique way. We were outside till the sun went down, then we decided to explore the smiles inside the One Galle Face mall. We captured the smiles of workers, customers, managers, and while doing that we ran into a special person, our Honourable Health Minister, Mrs. Pavithra Wanniarachchi. She was evidently busy but nevertheless took the time to appear in front of our camera, with her face mask on, not forgetting her social responsibility.

After about 5 hours of endless walking, we were satisfied with what we got. We went home smiling as wide as the 100 smiles we captured utterly delighted about the outcome of our project.

Something interesting that I noticed during the project was that many told us, ‘my smile isn’t that nice’ or ‘capture his smile instead’, perhaps not knowing the power their smile holds over another. Your smile can express emotions that perhaps a thousand words cannot. It has no boundaries, no limits, it’s your most valuable possession. No one can take it away from you. Each time you smile, the world becomes a better, happier place.

International Day of Happiness maybe just one day, but there are enough and more reasons to smile every single day. It’s definitely challenging to be happy all the time, but remember; You create your own happiness. No one can take it away from you. While you’re smiling, make an effort to make another heart smile too. There is no better time to spread happiness and joy than now.  We made 100 of them smile, now it’s your turn to make it a number we cannot count. Stay smiling. Stay safe.

By Rtr. Hiruni Thathsara