Una Sonrisa

I learned in my speech class in the 7th grade that a smile, or sonrisa, is the only gesture that is common among all languages. It is really simple to say that this is true. To experience it, though, is a completely different ball game.

I love to say hello to people when I walk by. I guess you could blame it on the year I spent living "Minnesota Nice". Regardless, I smile, say hello, and sometimes even wave. There is nothing different about that for me now in Costa Rica. Everyday on my walk to and from school, my roommate Devon and I pass by some type of garage/ store that has a security guard that watches the front door. And, everyday, without fail, we say some type of greeting. I'm not really sure what happened since that first hello, but he and I have become friends. In the morning we walk by and he now stands up to wave to me and say hello. The exact same thing happens every afternoon when I walk home. Devon laughs that she doesn't want to get in the way of my new friendship and even steps to the side sometimes while we walk. It has even gotten so routine that one time, when we didn't see him when we passed by, when we turned to look back, and he was standing outside of the shop waving at us. I have never said anything more than "Buenos dias", "Hola", o "Buenas Tardes" to him but everyday, I watch his eyes light up and a smile spread across his face from my hello.

Today when I walked by the garage, I was by myself and lost in my thoughts. When I realized that I was only two blocks away from my friend and, no doubt, his big smile, I started to get excited. No, a smile doesn't cost anything. It isn't something that takes a ton of thought or preparation. It is probably the simplest gift someone could give. One of these days, I'm going to introduce myself and talk to him a little bit, but, in all honesty, I think that his smile says it all. It says that while I may be miles upon miles away from my home, I still matter to someone down here, even if the longest sentence I have ever said to him has been two words. Sometimes, all you need is una sonrisa.