Smiles

smile, noun - a pleased, kind, or amused facial expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed.

Oh, but it is so much more. How can you encapsulate a smile in lips and teeth?

Sometimes, even when all the right muscles move, it is not a smile. The rest of the face never gets the memo, and you're left with an empty shell of a mouth to try and fool others with - to fool yourself with. Its just a mask covering the true feelings.

Or sometimes, instead of being the mask, the smile itself is masked - or at least the attempt is made. If it really is a true smile, though, no amount of lip pursing, eyebrow scrunching, or teeth clenching can hold it in. Real smiles cannot be contained.

The most often preserved smile is one plastered on right before the camera clicks. Willingly or otherwise, a happy face is coaxed out by overly enthusiastic photographers or shouts of "CHEEEESE!!!"

Some smiles are accidentally leaked, seeping out the corners of your mouth. A silent taddle-tale, it gives a window into your mind, where a happy thought has just fluttered past. These smiles make one wonder what is behind them. A fond memory? A familiar taste? A name whispered in your heart?

Sometimes the smile is not big enough to hold all the happiness. Salty drops join it, forming a teary waterfall of joy. No, it's not sadness, it's just overflow from your heart.

Then there are the smiles that come paired with a nod and an "uh-huh", while your mind tries frantically yet fails to understand what was said. The crankshaft pushes the, the piston? and then the distributor accelerates the carburetor to...huh? Just pretend you know what he is talking about! Don't look stupid! Such tiny white liars come to our rescue, or become our slow demise.

There also smiles that cause one to worry. Fingertips pressed together, eyebrow raised, a impish grin curls your lips, and a spark of mischief begins to flicker in your eyes. This smile is a warning, and may be followed by a small cackle, or a water balloon.

A smile is something that begins within and envelopes a person's entire face and makes their eyes dance. It skips across their cheeks and beckons you to join in, for joy grows twofold when it is shared. 

So, go ahead, share the joy! Turn up the corners of your mouth and show those teeth! You have a beautiful smile :)