Smile!

I was at dinner the other night celebrating a friend's birthday and included in our group was our friends' newborn baby boy. Naturally, the baby drew lots of attention but when the baby smiled he really had us captivated. Throughout the night whenever somebody went up to the baby it was all about making him smile. Every time I saw the baby smile I couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness and hint of fascination. And it got me wondering: Why is a baby's smile so awesome?

When an adult smiles people don't react with such excitement. Sometimes people react with suspicion. Similar reactions are given when a kid smiles. When a teenager smiles...well come on, who believes anything a teenager does anyway?

I read a book on body language and it had a whole chapter about identiying fake smiles and genuine smiles. In my experience, fake smiles seem to run rampant among adults and teenagers. Gossip, lies, powerplays, persuasion all utilize fake smiles. A smile turns from an expression of joy to a useful tool to get somebody on the same page as you. I think this is why a smile could lose some of its value, if you will, as we age. We've learned that they may be fake or accompanied with ulterior motives. Even a genuine smile may be blurred by the currents of emotions and stresses that linger in our heads. And this could have affect the way a smile is given and perceived. The stresses mask the happiness that a smile is meant to project.

So this brings me back to my original question: Why is a baby's smile so awesome? The way I figure it, babies don't have that added baggage. They haven't learned about lies, about persuasion, about fake smiles and ulterior motives. A baby's smile is straight up happiness. And that's why it's so awesome! It's a portrait of pure joy, which is rarely seen in the adult world with all its added stress and complexity that comes over the years. A baby's smile is a simple glimpse of something pure and a perfect reminder of how great hapiness is. It's refreshing - even touching...whoa I think I just had an emotional moment...scary.