Today I made a little stop back to the neighborhood where my parents still dwell. We had some lovely conversation and then decided to get food at a local Mexican restaurant. This one is gong to be hard to explain, but these days, I am so refreshed when I interact with someone who simply exudes love and positivity from their very soul. In this case, it was our waiter. This is hard to do, I think. In a world where most of our happiness is viewed on a "filtered snapchat" or picture uploaded to instagram, many individuals have almost lost their charm and their personality. Strange to think about, but we are so fixated on whether or not the third-party individual will enjoy viewing our "image of happiness" that is uploaded with a candid caption, that we have lost the ability to portray this happiness in real-time. 

Think about the last time you have interacted with a stranger and they have smiled genuinely at you. Think about the last time you have made actual eye contact with a stranger and genuinely smiled back. Think about the last time you have made meaningful conversation with any stranger without interruptions or constant rushing or confusion. Most of the time I am running errands, people are on their phones or looking down at their phones or on a business call while they are buying that bag of doritos at the supermarket. We claim to be the generation where we are multi-tasking every moment of every day and we take pride in that. We ask ridiculous questions such as "What chapter were you listening to at the supermarket on your audiobook while you were taking a business call and making your shopping list at the same time?" I mean, should we actually take pride in that ridiculous sentence formulated above? If it sounds ridiculous, chances are it probably looks a little ridiculous, too. Because something tells me we would not be able to answer a phone call, shop, make a list and then smile at a genuine stranger if they dared smile back at us. 

Well this stranger reminded me a lot of a family member who happens to have this same charm. Some individuals are simply gifted with a charming spirit. And it is a gift. They exude such a vibrant personality that they make you smile right back. They make you feel welcomed. Not only that, they are able to someone share that gift of hospitality with you. It isn't just that the waitress was a "nice person" he just reminded me of the definition of whimsy. Every time you interact with another, you should be welcoming, understanding, loving and hospitable. You spirit should ignite their spirit. Personality plays such a large part in perspective, how one views the world and what they decide to do to change it in the smallest but most impactful ways. So next time you are ordering food, look that waiter or waitress in the eye and find your spirit of whimsy. A little charm goes a long long way.