By Glenn Dromgoole

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” – William Arthur Ward.

I was fortunate, early in my journalistic career, to get to know a great everyday philosopher in William Arthur Ward, a 1940 McMurry grad.

His day job was promoting and publicizing the college he worked for — Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth.

But his real passion was massaging and shaping words into positive, quotable inspirational maxims. For years, the Fort Worth newspaper ran his succinct upbeat philosophies and observations on page one, and he published several books of them as well.

Later, I would be inspired to follow up on one of his one-liners – “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness” – with a few thoughts of my own, expressed in verse. I hope they’ll encourage you to smile.

Give the World a Smile
It’s something anyone can do,
an adult or a child.
We all have it in our power
to give the world a smile.

A Smile and a Donut
The cheerful clerk 
at the pastry shop 
makes it her business 
to sweeten the day 
of everyone she meets.

Three Ways to Smile
Smile first.
Smile big.
Smile often.

Smiles Matter
You think that smiles
aren’t important?
Just try living
a day without them.

Glenn Dromgoole is the author of more than thirty books, including his newest one — The Christmas Spirit: A Celebration in Word and Song. He and his wife Carol own Texas Star Trading Company in downtown Abilene.