• Irwin's Home Page
  • All About My Books
  • Irwin the Frog's Little Blog
  • About Me and My Family
  • Irwin's Family Photos
  • More Family Photos
  • Land of Lily Pad
  • Life in Lily Pad and Frog Holidays
  • Fun Stuff
  • Cool Stuff to Learn
  • How to Behave in the Swamp
  • Irwin's Favorite Things

      The Frog's Blog

Hi friends. This blog is a labor of love and I want to continue writing every day for a long time to come. But I need a little help. The fees to maintain this website are getting costly for a little frog. If you enjoy reading my blogs, will you please donate a dollar or two, or whatever you can, to help me keep this site (and blog) up and running? I'm on PayPal at irwinquagmirewart@gmail.com. Thank you!

Contact me

Lighting up the darkness.

5/31/2017

0 Comments

 
I got up a little late this morning so I was rushing more than usual trying to get the tea brewed and a simple repast prepared for my teacher, The Dharma Frog, when he seemed to appear out of nowhere.  I was feeling unusually chipper this morning so I flashed him a big smile, greeted him warmly and ushered him to the table.
As we sat down to for breakfast, Dharma began speaking, "It's so good to see you smiling, Irwin! You have a lovely smile. I only wish you'd smile more. Did you know, Irwin, that a frog's smile, is a language that even tadpoles understand?" In fact, I did not. So I asked him exactly what he was getting at. Dharma, as you may have already guessed, never talks just to hear the sound of his own voice. With him, every sentence is an opportunity for a lesson. He said, "Smiling is a universal language, my boy.  Even those too young to have language skills understand a smile. Smiles are powerful means of communication." I guess that, on some level, I knew that. I just hadn't ever really thought much about it.  I asked him if if there was any evidence that this was true. The minute I asked the question, I regretted it. Dharma isn't a frog of science, after all, he's a spiritual and life teacher who functions almost entirely on inner wisdom and teachings that have been passed down for eons. So I was quite surprised by his answer!
He knows that I love science and came prepared with facts that he knew I'd appreciate. He explained to me that smiles are more than just muscle movement, it is a quiet voice that says when someone is happy, pleased, or amused. Despite the fact that smiles are universally understood, there are different kinds of smiles and they can have multiple meanings. Studies have shown that Americans and Australian have smiles that are big and bold while those people living in Europe have smiles that were more restrained. Europeans tend to smile sparingly. Asians, however, are more demonstrative with their feelings and most of them will smile generously. Smiles can either be real or faked. Researchers have noted that genuine smiles, expressing genuine happiness, tend to include the crinkling at the corner of the eyes. Fake smiles bolt out in a flash but the eyes will show little expression in them.
As we finished up our pot of tea and the last few bites of our breakfast, Dharma reminded me that smiles are contagious. When you see someone smile, it pretty darn hard to not smile right along with them. Studies have shown, too, that faking a smile when you're feeling a little down can actually help you feel better. That simple facial expression sends messages to the brain that  you are feeling happy. And be fore you know it, you really are.
As Dharma hopped away for the week, he told me to always smile from the heart; for those are the genuine smiles that light up the world.
Smiles bond humanity together; they are an expression of kindness. Smiles are meant to be shared. Everyone from tadpoles and baby humans, to those who live halfway around the globe will understand what you mean when you flash them your "pearly whites." Smiles truly are a universal language. We are all born knowing how to smile. They don't require any special skill or training. But it seems that all too often we forget. Dharma challenged me to smile at everyone one I meet today. And I'm up for it. Smiling at babies and young children is easy. Old folks, too. It's the rest of humanity in the middle that can cause us problems. He recommended that I look into the eyes of every single person I meet today and see their their true beauty. Offering them a smile acknowledges that you see them and accept who they are.
​I challenge you to try smiling more, too. The world can look a little dark these days. Your smile can make it brighter. As Mother Teresa so beautifully said, "Let's always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love."​
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Land of Lily Pad's first published author. I enjoy writing fun and educational books for kids. My blog is for you parents; the kiddos might like some of them, too. As always, everything I write is family-friendly, so don't hesitate to share my messages with everyone. I hope you find them helpful and maybe even inspirational. Cheers! 

    Archives

    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

All roads lead to the Land of Lily Pad