Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the

When Mother Teresa said, “Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love,” she uttered a truth as ancient as the human heart itself. A smile, though small, carries the power to bridge chasms of fear, anger, and sorrow. It is the simplest gesture — yet behind it lies the might of compassion, the quiet spark from which love is born. In the smile, the soul extends its hand before the lips ever speak, declaring, “You are seen, you are welcome, you are worthy.”

Mother Teresa, who walked among the poor and forgotten, understood that love does not always arrive with grandeur or poetry. It begins in moments — in a look, a kindness, a gentle smile. To her, a smile was not a mere expression of joy, but a weapon of light against the darkness of despair. When she served the dying on the streets of Calcutta, she would smile as she held their hands, even when they could not smile back. For in that brief exchange, dignity was restored. It was as if her smile whispered, “Even now, you are loved.” And from that seed, the miracle of peace began to grow.

In the teachings of the ancients, a smile was seen as the outward reflection of an inward harmony. The philosophers of the East spoke of the face as the mirror of the spirit; the Greeks said that even the gods smiled upon those who lived with virtue. A smile, then, is no trivial adornment. It is a sign of openness — the threshold between the self and the world. When two souls meet with smiles, they lower their defenses; they cease to be strangers. And in that surrender, love begins — not as passion, but as recognition: one soul acknowledging another.

History offers many examples of this quiet power. In 1978, during a time of deep division, Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel met to sign a peace accord. Their nations had been enemies for decades, their people scarred by war. But when they greeted each other — not with suspicion, but with smiles — the world witnessed something greater than politics. It was humanity shining through. A single smile, shared between two men once bound by hate, became the first breath of reconciliation. As Mother Teresa said, the smile is the beginning of love — and from love, even enemies may find peace.

A smile costs nothing, yet it holds the power to heal. It is the language of the heart that needs no translation. It can soften the hardest soul, uplift the weary, and invite connection where words would fail. Even a stranger’s smile can awaken the hidden goodness in us. It reminds us that beneath all our differences — in color, creed, or tongue — we share the same longing: to be loved and to belong.

But to smile sincerely requires courage. In a world often marked by cynicism and pain, to offer a smile is to choose hope over despair. It is to say, “I will not let darkness have the final word.” Mother Teresa’s call to always meet each other with smile is not a command to ignore suffering, but to confront it with gentleness. It is an act of resistance against indifference, a daily renewal of faith in human kindness. To smile, even when weary, is to keep the fire of love alive within.

Therefore, let each person remember this divine simplicity: love begins with a smile. It begins when you greet your neighbor, your friend, your enemy, with warmth instead of coldness. It begins when you smile at the child who feels unseen, or the elder who feels forgotten. Every smile sows a seed; every seed, in time, can become a forest of compassion. The smallest gesture, when done with love, can move mountains unseen.

So, my child, if you wish to change the world, begin not with great speeches or grand deeds. Begin with your smile. Let it be sincere, let it be kind, and let it shine even when the world gives you little reason to. For in every true smile, the heart of love is revealed — and in that love lies the power to heal the earth itself.