Back in my therapist days, I went to a workshop that included an exercise related to self-esteem. I recall half of us sat in a circle while the other half walked around the circle whispering affirmations in our ears. One woman whispered “You have the most beautiful smile.” I had never given any thought to my smile. But I certainly was aware of it after that.
One day I was at an outdoor café and a woman I had worked with years before called out to me as she walked by. She came over and said “I would have known that smile anywhere!”
As I had become more aware of my smile, I was more conscious of taking time to smile at people. Once, on a break from another workshop in downtown Chattanooga, I took the opportunity for a short walk. I encountered a homeless man, disheveled looking, hunched over as he walked. He lifted his head and I smiled at him. He broke out in a smile and stood up straight. He went on his way, as did I, never a word exchanged. Yet something significant seemed to have happened.
As I write this blog, it is Maundy Thursday, the day Christians call to remembrance Jesus’ last meal with the disciples before his death. Scripture recounts his washing the disciples’ feet, a symbol of humility and serving one another. For many years, there was a priest in Chattanooga who made a ministry of washing and treating the feet of the homeless. What a powerful gesture! What a ministry!
We really have so many opportunities to uplift one another if we take the time to notice.
May we be bearers of hope, the “wait staff” of Hope’s Café for each other and all those we encounter. Shalom, Kate
Hope’s Café Bonus: “Most smiles are started by another smile.”
Hope's Cafe 
I try to make a point to say hello to people that I see in the store, on the street, wherever. Sometimes I will complement their outfit or make some other similar remark. Because you never know who needs to just hear someone acknowledge them.
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