Smiles are everywhere, and smiles can spread. You can smile to

The words of Jacob Tremblay, “Smiles are everywhere, and smiles can spread. You can smile to someone, and they'll smile to another person, and it goes on and on and on,” carry within them a radiant truth: that joy is not meant to be hoarded but shared, and that the smallest gesture of warmth can ripple outward into an endless tide of light. A smile is a seed—silent, simple, yet powerful enough to awaken life in weary souls. It costs nothing, yet its value is beyond measure, for it can transform not only the one who gives it, but countless others who are touched in its wake.

The ancients spoke of such things often, though in other forms. They told of fire passed from torch to torch, never diminished, but multiplied with every sharing. A single flame could light a thousand, yet still remain whole. So too is the smile—a spark of joy passed from face to face, spreading warmth without loss. Tremblay reminds us that this chain of light is not rare but ever-present, waiting for us to set it in motion.

There is history that testifies to this power. During the dark years of World War II, amidst rubble and hunger, many recalled the power of a single act of kindness—a loaf of bread, a reassuring word, or even a smile from a stranger—that gave them strength to endure one more day. Viktor Frankl, the survivor of Auschwitz, wrote that in the camp, those who shared even the smallest gestures of humanity gave others the will to keep living. A smile, he said, could remind one that the soul had not been destroyed. In this, we see how Tremblay’s words are no mere pleasantry, but the echo of an eternal truth: smiles can spread life itself.

The spreading smile is not only comfort but also a quiet revolution. In a world heavy with conflict, mistrust, and sorrow, to smile at another is to break down walls. It declares, “I see you. You are not alone.” And when that person carries the smile forward, the chain continues, touching hearts that may never know its origin. This is how goodness moves through the world—not always in grand gestures, but in countless unseen currents of light, flowing one to another.

Yet the teaching also carries a challenge: if smiles are everywhere, why do so many remain hidden? Too often, we let pride, fear, or weariness keep our faces closed. We forget the power we hold in a simple expression of joy. Tremblay calls us back to awareness, to remember that each of us carries the ability to begin the chain, to set into motion the unseen tide of kindness that can stretch far beyond what we imagine.

The lesson, then, is both humble and profound: smile often, and smile sincerely. Do not wait for joy to come before you share it. Let your smile be the flame that lights another, and trust that it will go farther than you will ever know. In the marketplace, in the classroom, on the street—wherever you are, you hold this simple power to change the atmosphere of the world around you.

To practice this wisdom, begin each day with intention. Choose to meet at least one stranger’s eyes and offer them a smile. Smile at your loved ones not out of habit, but out of gratitude. And when life feels heavy, dare to smile anyway—not as denial, but as defiance, a declaration that the light within you will not be extinguished. For every smile you offer is a seed planted, and though you may never see the forest that grows, know that it will flourish because of you.

So remember, O children of tomorrow: smiles are everywhere, and smiles can spread. Do not underestimate the power of this gentle weapon, this radiant flame. Carry it into the world, pass it freely, and you will become a hidden architect of joy, weaving light into the hearts of strangers until the chain of smiling faces circles the earth. And it will go on, and on, and on.