She was thigh high and three.

She turned and saw me stare

and then without warning

handed me a smile.

It laid  in my palm

and straddled my life line.

I smiled a ‘thank you’ back

and closed my fingers over it.

It was slipped into my pocket

next to keys and some pennies.

There it stayed all day

like a receipt.

I forgot about it.

A few days later

I was scooping out the lint trap

and it was right next to a candy wrapper.

It was faded a bit and wrinkled.

I plucked it out of the fibers

and got out the ironing board.

I set the iron to delicates.

After folding it nicely

I placed it in my drawer

right on top of the kerchiefs,

neatly.

It waits there.

I will fetch it when

the blood runs

and the sweat beads

and the tears roll.

I will wipe her smile on my face.

I have a child named Zoe. Zoe means ‘life’. It was another Zoe at Sam’s Club who handed me that smile. Thank You!

Take some time today to for some handouts…give your smile to someone, it might surprise them later in their lint trap.