I miss seeing smiles. Unlike languages, smiles are universal. A simple smile can convey so much —empathy, encouragement, goodwill, friendliness. On top of all this, it softens everything you say, especially when you're saying something people may not want to hear. 

As the whole world knows, flying is getting unfriendlier by the day. Working my beverage cart, I stopped at a row and asked the woman at the window seat what she’d like to drink. She gave me a questioning look. Per my usual, I think to myself—for crying out loud. What do you think I’m asking? I’m standing in front of you with my beverage cart— do you think I’m asking you what your favorite movie is? When it struck her that I was asking her if she’d like a beverage, she asked what we had. Errrrr. Because it’s hard to hear through my mask, I basically scream out the options. Because she didn’t have the courtesy to remove her headphones, she asked a second time. Preferring not to scream out the list again, I asked her if she wouldn't mind removing her headphones. She didn’t hear that either, so I did a charade-like act of removing headphones. My request irritated her. But I said it with a smile, and maybe if she could've seen my smile she may have taken it better.

Every time I have to remind people to put their mask over their nose and mouth, I say it with a smile that can’t be seen. Complying and enforcing federal mask mandates is unpleasant enough, a smile would at least soften the “gentle reminder.”

I liken the softening effect of a smile to the softening effect of an emoji. I may text, “Please don’t dillydally!” But, and this is huge, I tack on the blowing a kiss emoji—or maybe even the laughing until I’m crying emoji. It changes the whole tone of the text.

It doesn’t look like we’ll be uncovering our smiles any time soon in the travel industry, but I know when we do, it’ll make a world of difference.

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

Mother Teresa