The man approached me as I walked down Adeline in the sunshine. How you doin’, he asked. He had the voice of a person whose troubles had not hardened, but softened him. He said he liked that I smiled. Smiles give so much, and they’re for free! A smile costs nothing at all.

He said he'd just had some teeth pulled, and it hurts to smile, but he wasn’t going to stop. Thanks for smiling, he called out as he crossed the street to the other side. And I thanked him.

A smile costs nothing at all.