The Noonday Sun

I lay on my back, draped across the backyard swing, my legs hanging loosely off the end. I could feel the air. Not just the heat, but the air itself. It trickled through my body and my skin seemed to soak it up. The sky bled sunbeams that fell like a soft waterfall over me.

While my skin breathed in the sun's rays, I contemplated what someone had recently said to me. It was my first real conversation with this school friend when she commented, "Wow, Tessa, you are really nice," as if discovering something new. I chuckled when she next said, "If you had spoken up more in English, everyone would have left feeling great. You should open up a club that teaches how to lift other people's self-esteem."

I never really thought about it before. I just love making people happy, making them laugh, or making them cry because they are so touched. I guess it's just a reflex, or perhaps a goal.

Someone once asked me how to be nice. I think the most important part of being nice is controlling your judgements. When you see someone, dig deeper than just the usual first impression. Find their most redeeming qualities, and remember them throughout your interactions with the person. Everyone has good things about them. Notice them, point them out. The more you practice this, the more those positive first impressions come.

The satisfaction of a laugh or smile is sweet, warm... just like the sun pouring down at noon.