“Better to be the one who smiled, than the one who did not smile back.”

Dear Universe,

I live in a beautiful, serene neighborhood that I love.  But I’ve noticed something.  When I wave to neighbors, they rarely wave back.

Now, I’m a friendly, outgoing person.  This has been apparent from a very early age.  As a little girl, I talked to my dolls, my stuffed animals, my Barbies, my brothers’ action figures…

Basically whenever I had a potential audience, I took the opportunity to perform, chat, sing and dance the day away for them.  They were never bored—and coincidentally, neither was I.

As an adult this has helped me in my career.  I think nothing of walking into a classroom of twenty strangers and chatting away as if I’ve met them all before.

When I go out, I gab with everyone near me.  My mom sometimes jokes that I’d talk to the wall.  My girlfriends often wonder why I bother to chat with perfect strangers.

The thing is this.

I believe in being open as much as possible, whenever possible.  Open to meeting new people, to traveling to new places, to eating new foods.  I believe in talking to strangers and hearing their stories.  I believe in being friendly because I believe we cross paths with every person we meet for a reason.

Is everyone I encounter as friendly or open?  Of course not!  And sometimes I don’t feel like being social either.  But I’ll always do my best to be polite—to treat people the way I want to be treated—since it’s just a part of who I am.  And for the most part, I find myself in conversations with people who are lovely, social and warm.

So when I wave and people don’t wave back, it does bother me a little.  I know in the grand scheme of life it’s a minor, insignificant thing, but that’s not the point.  It simply makes me wonder—if people are so closed off to a wave, what else are they blocking out of their lives?

What’s the harm in waving?  What’s the harm in a hello?

So Universe, I’ll keep being open.  I’ll keep smiling.  I’ll keep waving even if it goes unacknowledged.  I’ll keep giving out what love I can and receiving whatever love comes back my way because in my heart I feel that’s the right thing to do.  More importantly, it’s what I want to do.  It pleases me to share some joy and spread a little cheer whenever possible.

The way I see it, it’s better to be the one who waved, than the one who didn’t wave back.

Much Gratitude,

A