Wearing a Smile in Disguise

My smiles of good motives

Life they say isn't fair to me at some point, but the question is " how do you manage it" . I have been a victim of betrayal, victimization, isolation, oppression, and frustrations. But it will interest you to know that I still wear my smiles. Smiles means a lot of things, sometimes it portray happiness and joy, but most times it's of the opposite meaning. Not every smile tells the same story. Some smiles burst forth from genuine joy, lighting up the face with honesty and warmth. I sometimes carefully crafted this masks as a shield to hide my pains, uncertainty, or even fear. These are also my smiles in disguise.

A smile in disguise can be a form of silent strength. It says, “I may be hurting, but I choose to stand tall.” It protect my vulnerabilities from the outside world, giving me space to process what’s going on inside. Sometimes, I wear this smiles to avoid worrying others, to maintain peace, or to keep my personal struggles private. I believe in one way or the other, we have all shielded our worries with a smiles just to keep going.

In most cases, even when I wear this smile in disguise my good friends still look me in the eye to tell me, "Emma, I know you are not ok" . Behind that brightness might be someone longing for a listening ear, a safe space, or simply kindness. That’s why it’s important to look beyond the surface to notice the eyes, the tone of voice, the pauses between words. This only takes a well cared person to look beyond some smiles.

We should never underestimate the complexity of a smile. Some are rays of sunshine; others are clouds hiding a storm. Both deserve our compassion. So the next time you see a smile, remember, it may be more than what it seems. Sometimes, the bravest smiles are the ones hiding the heaviest hearts. Sometimes it's of a negative mindset. Not all smiles means well.