Can You Tell I'm Smiling?

     We all know that 2020 has been tough so far, at least since March. The pandemic has taken away so much from us. But recently I noticed that something small, but meaningful, is missing. It’s our smiles.

     When I go out, I smile all the time at people, and I like getting smiles in return. It’s my small way of communicating to strangers, from big thank-you smiles to the small corner-of-the-mouth twitches that show recognition of others.

     Now, half our faces are covered in masks, and who knows what the other person is “saying” to us. Are they friendly? Who knows? Annoyed? Who can tell? We all thought the eyes could say so much, but actually they are nothing without the accompanying mouth.

     I usually am a big smiler. Strangers comment on it. I like to be friendly.

     But now, with my face covered, I tend to keep my eyes down. Why look at someone when they can’t see that I’m doing more than just staring?

     I look forward to the return of smiles…