Yesterday I wrote about the sweetness of a smile. Several people wrote to me to say it made a difference. Then as it happened I spent much of the day with three year old kids, for whom smiling is an automatic response to sparkly shoes, a pair of round crackers in their blue bowl, whooshing down the slide, and holding a friend's small hand. Their smiles are gorgeous, with wispy curls around their temples, and brown eyes under a canopy of lashes. Their joy is lavish.

Then, because it was picture day, the teachers took their flock of kids down to the auditorium. This was a break in the routine, and caught the children off guard. When it was their turn to stand on the red painted foot prints, and be illuminated under a white umbrella, their faces were somber. Adults behind the photographer did everything short of tap dancing to ignite a smile. 

"Cookies! Pizza! Christmas!" But imaginary treats did not give the kids reason enough to grin. Some of the photographs may well be less than frame worthy. 

Unless of course their parents are partial to photos of their kids being cautious, or dubious. Those are genuine feelings too, as much as the laughter that erupts each day on the playground. 

One of the things I cherish about young children is their authenticity. They smile not to impress, or manipulate. They smile because everything in their being bursts with happiness over a caterpillar, or a song about buses. 

Being with them reminds me to be real too, to find delight in small wonders. When a baby brother came in his stroller to pick up his sister, he asked his mother about the large can full of donated clothing. He wanted to know if it was a trash can. He has seen those before and asked, using their code word. 

"Bleh?" It is what she says to discourage him from investigating garbage. 

"Bleh," she agreed, though she tried to explain that it was not exactly trash, but simply outgrown shirts and pants. He smiled. 

"Bleh!" I am not sure if it was because he was glad to know what this object was for or simply because it is fun to say. He said it again, for emphasis.  His smile brought me joy. 

I hope I can pass it on.