An inspirational piece about the social ripple effect of smiling.

A truly beautiful smile is often a "Duchenne smile"—a natural expression that involves not just the mouth, but the muscles around the eyes, signaling authentic joy.

So the next time you see a lovely smile—on a stranger in a grocery line, on an old photograph, on the face of someone you love—recognize it for what it is: a small, voluntary act of beauty in a world that desperately needs it. And if you can, smile back. That is how lovely smiles multiply.