A Simple Smile Can Be Much More Than We Think

Andrzej Tomczyk
Aug 22, 2017 · 2 min read

World travels often introduce people to the unfortunate barriers of language. Whether you speak one language or five, you will often come across a situation where communication is limited due to the absence of mutual dialect. I’ve spent the last three weeks in Morocco working in an orphanage for those less fortunate than others; some neglected by their parents, others with extreme physical disabilities. It is here where I learned about a universal language, one that speaks volumes and is deeply rooted in happiness.

I had never volunteered to help kids before, let alone kids with extreme disabilities or ones that spoke a different language. I had wondered how I would help — what value I could bring. The kid I was about to help, does he speak Arabic or French? Neither one would help. I walked nervously into a room with more than a dozen hospital beds where I saw a boy laying all alone. I kindly greeted him with a smile that was returned almost instantly. The boy spoke to me, which was very surprising, and what I heard was just what I needed: “thanks for stopping by, I couldn’t tell you what it means to me.” That was just the ice-breaker. He did not speak my language, nor did he speak Arabic or French, but with his smile, he said, “hello!” With the flailing of his arms, he said, “look how strong I am!” With the rapid blinking of his dark brown eyes, he said, “you’ve made my day!” I was delighted to learn that even the smallest of gestures helped that little boy. A simple smile is often more than we think it to be. When I left for the day, I was no longer worried about climbing the barriers that come along with different cultures. Happiness is a universal feeling, and if I can make another person smile, I can speak the language of the world.

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West Point Cadet || Entrepreneur || CMO and Investor || — Instagram: andrzej_tomczyk

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