I took my two granddaughters to the park playground and settled down in my chair to enjoy some quiet time while watching them play. Within a few minutes I heard a car pull into the parking area behind me. A little girl and her mother climbed out of the car and the girl immediately began skipping toward the playground. All at once she began to laugh as little girls tend to do and I heard an echoing laugh from two girls running from the playground to meet her. The meeting culminated in a chorus of giggles as the three ran to play.

In the quiet again, I was left to think about the enthusiasm of children and how we, as adults, tend to lose sight of it and let the cares of life destroy it. Distracted by work, duties and concerns, we meet friends and acquaintances with subdued enthusiasm, if not complete disinterest or even irritation if our schedule is interrupted.

Have you experienced the good feeling that comes with meeting someone who is genuinely happy to see you? It lightens your mood and makes troubles seem smaller. How good would it make others feel if we were to greet them with even half of the joy of those little girls in the park? If I made an effort to forget whatever worry is occupying my mind, I could devote my full attention to whoever is near. I might have to force a big smile and put a little more volume into my “hello,” but spreading a little joy is worth the effort. Focusing on someone else instead of myself makes the world seem more in balance and problems disappear.

I’ll start today, paying attention to how I greet friends and strangers, remembering the girls in the park and their carefree enthusiasm. Maybe, my greeting will help to chase someone’s cares away. I know it will help me to forget my own.

Ephesians 5:19 encourages believers to communicate with one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs and to communicate with the Lord by singing and making melody in their hearts.

My friends may not sing to me, but an enthusiastic “Hello, it’s good to see you!” is music to my ears.

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