I don't leave a room unless I leave a smile. I want to leave them

The words of Jenifer Lewis shine with the brightness of one who understands the sacred duty of joy: “I don't leave a room unless I leave a smile. I want to leave them laughing.” At first, they may sound playful, like the jest of a performer who loves the stage. Yet beneath these words lies an ancient wisdom: that to bring laughter is to bring healing, and to leave behind smiles is to leave behind light. In this truth we find a calling—that each moment we share with others is a chance to lift their burdens, to remind them that life, though heavy, still holds delight.

For what is a room without a smile, but a place of shadows? And what is a gathering without laughter, but a burdened silence? Lewis speaks to the eternal human need: to be uplifted, to be seen, to be given a spark of joy that lingers long after one has departed. Her vow is not simply about herself—it is about service. To leave a smile is to plant a seed of happiness that grows beyond the moment. It is to offer others a piece of your spirit, so that they may carry it into their own battles.

This truth can be found in the story of Charlie Chaplin, the silent clown who lived through both hardship and ridicule. He was born into poverty, scarred by loss, and yet he chose to make millions laugh. In an era of wars and despair, his simple antics reminded people that humanity still had light within it. He would enter the stage, and before he left, he too ensured that his audience carried away laughter. Though his own life was marked with sorrow, his gift to the world was joy—a joy that still echoes through generations.

So too must we understand that to bring laughter is not frivolous, but heroic. It takes courage to smile when your own heart may ache. It takes strength to cheer others when you yourself carry burdens. But this is the noblest path: to make of your presence a lantern that brightens darkened rooms. For laughter is medicine—it lifts the weary, breaks the walls of loneliness, and reminds us that we are alive. To leave others smiling is to leave them stronger.

Yet, Lewis’s teaching is also a challenge. Not all choose to bring light. Some leave rooms with bitterness, with coldness, with words that wound instead of heal. Such people add weight to the burdens of others, multiplying shadows where there should have been light. But the one who, like Lewis, chooses to leave laughter, transforms every space they touch. Their legacy is not measured in wealth or monuments, but in the countless smiles they leave behind, like stars scattered across the sky.

The lesson for us, then, is clear: let us be deliberate in the impact we leave upon others. Do not pass through life indifferent. Instead, let your presence be remembered for joy, not sorrow; for kindness, not cruelty. Each time you enter a room, remember that you carry within you the power to change the atmosphere. A word of encouragement, a gentle smile, a shared laugh—these are treasures greater than gold. They cost nothing, yet their worth is immeasurable.

Practically, this means we must cultivate the habit of joy. Speak kindly before you depart. Offer a joke or a smile, even in small encounters. Do not underestimate how deeply a stranger may need the laughter you offer. And when you leave a room, ask yourself: “Have I left behind warmth or coldness? Have I lifted or weighed down?” In this self-questioning lies the practice of true wisdom.

Thus, remember and carry forward the teaching of Jenifer Lewis: never leave a room without leaving a smile. Leave them laughing. For in the end, when your days are counted, the world will not remember every word you spoke, nor every deed you accomplished, but it will remember how you made them feel. And if you left them smiling, then you left them with a piece of light that endures beyond your presence—a legacy brighter than any crown or throne.