Help! Smiling Faces Are Fast Disappearing In Public

As the post-COVID-19 world begins to emerge, a world where facemasks have become the new normal, one of life’s most priceless gift is gradually being stolen from us – SMILES.

What is a Smile?

A smile is that facial expression that expresses feelings of happiness, excitement, pleasure, approval and satisfaction. It is a form of non-verbal communication that communicates the above emotions and much more!

The charming smiles of a little girl

A smile says more than a thousand words the inner feelings of a person. It communicates love, empathy, friendliness and appreciation and acceptance.

Can you imagine the joy of a parent as she beholds the enchanting smiles of her newborn? – Ah, pure bliss! 

Or the radiant joy of a bride expressed by the smiles on her face on her wedding day! 

Or the satisfaction of a businessman landing a contract after a tedious process of bidding and negotiations? 

Or the ecstatic feeling of joy when your favourite club wins a tournament like the Champions League!

Laughter and Smiles are the expressions of those memorable moments of pure joy – whether it’s the joy of birthing a baby into the world, or getting married, taking a selfie or photoshoot or simply just hanging out with favourite pals in a jovial atmosphere

Can you imagine a world without this intrinsic facial expression? What would make a photograph memorable without the smiling faces of the people striking a pose in it?

I was at a shopping mall the other day to buy some groceries. In compliance with the new laws of public appearances, everyone was masked up and there was a queue leading to the entrance of the mall. 

Whilst on the queue, I ran into a childhood friend who was also on the queue. After the initial ‘is she the one or is she not the one’ (because of her masked face) contemplation. I finally took the plunge by calling out her name. She turned and behold she was actually the one. 

At that very moment, my dilemma greatly increased – do I hug her (Mr Coronavirus screamed NO), do I give her a handshake? (COVID-19 whispered ‘beware of coronavirus, remember you haven’t seen her in years!)

Meanwhile, I was seriously smiling, excited to see my childhood friend again. My smiles were however veiled by my own mask and hence she couldn’t see my excitement.  Out of exasperation, I finally clasped my palms together in  traditional Indian ‘Namaste’ fashion and then said ‘hello’.

It has been scientifically proven that when one smiles, the body releases certain chemical substances called hormones which makes the body feel good and even lowers blood pressure! Dopamine, for example, is known as the 'feel-good hormone'.

Neuronation says 

"When you smile flashes across your face, dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are released into your bloodstream, making not only your body relax but also works to lower your heart rate and blood pressure."

That is just one of several scientifically proven benefits of smiling.

Asides the health benefits of smiling, smiles make our world go round as they add colour and charm to it. They evoke strong memories as we go through our photo albums and remember times shared with people we love and cherish.

Again, I ask, can you imagine how our world would be without smiling faces?

Post COVID-19 public photographs would, however, feature the faces of people whose charming smiles have been masked for fear of contracting the coronavirus disease.

Finally, in the words of Kirk Franklin, 'you look so much better when you smile'. Keep smiling people.

"Laughter does good like medicine".

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