simple words

The words of a stranger this evening; a spur of the moment urge to share a thought, an idea.

"You have a beautiful smile."

With those words, and the slight gesture to get my attention, came an instantaneous flood of memories; flashes of moments in time. My father, my husband, two of my brothers, a dear friend who has moved away, in-loves.....all variations on the theme. And at that moment in the present, I was taken by surprise. Later, while talking to my husband about it, he said that my smile was what attracted me to him in the first place. Again taken by surprise, the simple truth, "It has to be something."

I blushed.

There is no way to know how our words will affect another. I have no idea what moved the stranger to speak to me, although in the environment, there is a possibility that he did not consider me a stranger, and may not have considered his words as particularly surprising. But he could never have known the internal reaction I had.

So much to say in simple words.

I thanked him, for the compliment, ostensibly, but more for the flood of warmth that accompanied the pictures in my mind, and in my heart. For the love that I was once again reminded of. And the spirit -- and smile -- I inherited; the vibrant energy shared among my dear ones.

He touched me.

And made my heart sing.

Lesson learned: One of my favorite songs says it best, "Say what you need to say." I've always thought of those instructions as being related to the Big Things to the people you share the most energy, time, or love with. Tonight I was reminded that there are times when what we need to say is to the strangers we come across in unexpected moments.

Thank you.