The Value of a Smile

They might not need me;
but they might.
I'll let my head be just in sight.
A smile as small as mine might be
precisely their necessity.
(Emily Dickinson)

I was leading the music today in Relief Society. (I lead the music every week in Relief Society.) Anyway, we were singing a hymn called "We Are All Enlisted." It is an exuberant song full of encouragement and enthusiasm and hope. Over and over it repeats the words "happy are we, happy are we." The song is full of words like "there's a bright crown in store" and "glad to join" and "sing as we go" and "we're joyfully marching." I purposely choose songs like this one each week to lighten the mood and draw attention to the blessing we enjoy of being a part of this great organization and to help us feel the joy the gospel brings into our lives.

But today I looked out over a room full of my dear sisters and realized that few, if any, were smiling. Heads were down. Many didn't sing at first. Several women seemed distracted, even distressed, somewhere else. I doubled my efforts. I tried to look at each sister individually and smile my love to them. I was rewarded with smiles in return. More voices joined in. Faces looked up and countenances brightened.

By the time the song ended, I felt a change in the room. There was unity and a cheerful peace. We were ready to begin, ready to share and ready to learn. While I know there is power in the music itself, today I saw the value of a simple smile. It was precisely my necessity.