General News
29 August, 2025
How one smile sparked 15 years of friendship
Smiles with Sally is a regular fortnightly column in the Mail-Times produced by Sally Pymer a McKenzie Creek Empowerment Coach, on the power of a smile. This week, she begins her column with a story related to her of a smile that created a memory across almost two decades.
About 15 years ago, I met this guy in the gym.
We used to do the same spinning class, and started chatting.
He invited me to join his riding group, which led to hundreds of rides, about 20 trips away on riding adventures, and making many new friends that I still travel and catch up with three or four times a year for a meal.
I said to him one day, “I can’t really remember how exactly we became friends".
He said, “You smiled at me".
As simple as that.
Who would think something as simple as a smile could lead to such amazing adventures and friendships, but it did.
Now I have to tell you, this is not my story but a friend's.
When she heard about the column I am writing for the Mail-Times, she shared this story with me and I thought it was too good not to pass on.
It shows how the smallest thing can change someone’s world.
Steve Maraboli once said, “It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime".
When I heard this story, I thought of the number of people quietly carrying loneliness, even though surrounded by others.
I thought that looking someone in the eye and smiling could break that feeling. A tiny gesture that could be so powerful.
My friend had no idea the impact of her smile in the gym that day.
She didn’t plan it, or think twice about it, but over 15 years later, the guy from the gym still remembers it as the start of their friendship.
If you think about all the rides, trips, and laughs they’ve shared, what sticks in his mind is the smile that opened the door.
It makes me wonder how many of our own friendships, opportunities, or even love stories started because of a smile.
How many people carry around a memory of your smile without you even knowing it?
The truth is, we’ll probably never know, but what I do know is that a smile has this quiet kind of power.
You might think nothing of it, but to someone else, it can mean everything.
It might be the moment they feel noticed, welcome, and that they belong.
So this week, the challenge is to think about a memorable time someone smiled at you, whether it was a friend or a stranger, and notice how that memory still makes you feel.
As my friend proved, you never know where it might lead and might just be the start of your next great adventure.
Enjoy!