Let’s talk about smiles

Jennifer Vanderau
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter

(6/2020) It’s surprising the power they have. In fact, there are many, many meditative practices that involve the simple smile.

I say simple because my mind thinks of it that way, but when you realize the benefits of the facial expression, it’s really anything but.

Ancient philosophers have known the benefits of a smile for centuries. And in more recent years, a study in Psychological Science discovered that smiling lowered the pulse and allowed people to recover much faster after stressful activity.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (from my studies with the really awesome Renee Lehman) tells us that the smile helps and supports the heart and our cardiovascular health. The simple act of a smile can create positive energy throughout your entire body.

I know it may sound strange, but take just a second or two and think of something that really – and I mean, really – makes you smile. A family member – child, grandchild, mom, dad, husband, wife. A pet – dog, cat, rabbit, heck, maybe even a goldfish. Your garden out back – maybe a particularly vivid, blooming flower.

A memory of something from the past that was super fun, maybe you almost laughed your head off at a movie or family gathering. Maybe it’s a favorite book or a television show. Perhaps a moment in your life where you were so happy you couldn’t help laughing.

Whatever it is, think about it and allow yourself that smile. It doesn’t have to be anything big – not overly toothy or anything – just your lips lifting a little, but you can feel it in your eyes. I know you know what I mean. The infamous eye-crinkle that accompanies the truly real smiles.

Hang onto that for just a little bit.

What do you notice? Can you feel yourself relaxing? Did you naturally inhale a little deeply, maybe your shoulders dropped a bit.

I’ve been missing random smiles recently because of the conditions in which we find ourselves. The masks we wear for our protection (and the protection of others) don’t really allow for the sharing of the telltale smile, do they?

I keep doing it, though. I think I may be conditioned by now to smile at people. My mom was a talk-to-random-strangers kind of person when I was a kid and I must have picked it up from her. I can’t tell you how many times my siblings and I would be waiting at the gumball machines in the grocery store while mom chatted away to the cashier. *waves* Hi mom! Miss you!

Well, regardless of whether or not it can be seen, I still smile at people. After all, it helps my own inner energy, so I’m going to keep doing it.

But you know what? I think some people get it. It’s probably the eye-crinkle (I know I look for it on others) because people will still say hello or make a comment to me at the store.

Although, taking a lesson from Traditional Chinese Medicine, it might be a recognition that goes even deeper than the eye-crinkle. Since the smile is connected to the heart, I believe the heart often speaks a language that doesn’t have a lot to do with words, if you know what I mean.

It has a lot more to do with an innate, energetic knowledge that often can’t be explained with words.

Wouldn’t it be something if this pandemic actually made us connect and communicate in a brand new, heart-felt way? Certainly something to ponder.

One area where it’s particularly tough to not see the smiles is with our adoptions. By now, you had to be wondering how I was going to get this around to animals, weren’t you?

One of our Animal Care Technicians at the shelter told me recently that she really missed seeing the smiles on our adopter’s faces when they head out the door with their new four-legged friend.

We’re still doing adoptions by appointment and it’s been going very well. We ask that folks who come in to adopt wear a mask, so everyone can be safe. We need to be stewards of the safety of our staff so we can make sure everyone is healthy to continue to care for the babies in our kennels.

Everyone is incredibly cooperative. In fact, one gentleman was adopting a dog recently and he actually told our staff, out loud, "I know you can’t see it right now, but I’m smiling so big under this mask. I’m so excited to bring this guy home."

And that, alone, gave us the same feeling as if he had grinned bright and wide.

Maybe that’s the key to all of this – if we can’t see the smiles, we can still feel them, sense them, know that they’re there.

Like I said before, it might just usher in a new and different way to communicate and this gentleman was nice enough to tell us what he was doing because he wasn’t able to show us.

I say practice every chance you get. Let that smile bloom on your face. I don’t care where you are or what you’re doing or who can or can’t see you.

Maybe even share it with someone you love – maybe the four-legged friend at your side right now.

You might be surprised at how much power and good feeling we can create if we all just…smile.

*****

Jennifer Vanderau is the Director of Communications for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter in Chambersburg, Pa., and can be reached at cvasoc@innernet.net. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at (717) 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org.