Smile...it does make a difference.

The universal language is a smile. Every culture all over the world has smiles. It means happiness. It means we all secrete hormones that bring us warm fuzzy feelings passing through our body. The universal language is a tear. Every culture all over the world shed tears. A feeling of pain surges through our body, and we look for those things that make us smile.  

When working in the dental area in La Lampara, I watched rotten teeth being pulled when there was only three teeth left to spare. I got to hold the hand of a young girl who was afraid of the needle that was going to numb her mouth to take a tooth out of her smile. I smiled at every patient that sat down in the chair to hopefully comfort them in a way to prepare for the journey ahead. Each of them smiled back at me. I saw a lot of pain being relieved, but a lot of teeth coming out that could have been prevented easily with a 75-cent toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. The things a lot of people take for granted.

The theme lately is that it is the little things that can go a long way, and no matter how many times we are reminded of that, we still need reminding. Just one moment of kindness, or a simple smile, can do so much more than trying to fix someone's problems. We take for granted our smiles. It has been shown to me that one person's smile could make them feel badly about themself, but the work we do is to attempt to give them peace or relief, so they can find happiness in their smile.

Now, we have moved into another village, where the needs are just as great. My new job is working with the village kids, and it has been exhausting to keep up and play. It is even more frustrating to not be able to communicate with them to relate, but even holding their hands and giving them a smile is may be all they are looking for.

Just like anyone else they are looking for a smile.