General News
7 December, 2025
Smiles with Sally: Joy between strangers
Empowerment coach Sally Pymer brings another enjoyable story this week about the power of a smile as she meets two strangers on her doorstep, unannounced and unexpected, and how this surprise visit impacted her. Sally Pymer brings us another example of the power of a smile and its two-way effect.
"That was Milly’s room. Look, Milly’s room."
I could see the big, broad smiles across the faces of two strangers I had met only minutes earlier and the excitement, smiles and joy could not be contained.
It was a Saturday morning, and I received a visit from two women who had lived in my current house 80 years ago.
My husband had called me around an hour earlier and said, “You’ll have a car come up the driveway, do a U-turn and drive out again, so don’t be concerned about the strange car.”
When I got a knock on my door, I was surprised and, to be honest, a little annoyed.
That was not the plan.
As soon as I saw those two women, all thoughts of annoyance went out the door.
On first contact, we smiled at each other, their eyes lit up and it almost felt like they had slipped back to being children again.
I have no idea how long they were there because I got caught up in their stories, big smiles and excitement.
It was almost like a treasure hunt where they were looking for the lost treasure from 80 years ago.
“Let’s find where the laundry was” followed by a story of washing and wearing the best clothes for mass on a Sunday.
“Oh, that front yard. My mum had the most beautiful garden, and there were fruit trees right there.”
“Oh, look, that's where the shearers quarters were, chook shed and cow milking area.”
To be honest, I had the most enjoyable conversation with strangers over a shared interest in the house and property.
If we passed each other on the street we would have no idea our shared interest and no idea the joy and smiles we could give each other.
How often do we pass people on the street, unaware of how similar we are?
This Saturday-morning experience showed how amazing connections can occur in an instant with complete strangers if you allow opportunity to do so.
I could have ignored the knock on my door, but I didn’t.
I would have missed such an amazing opportunity and never known what I had missed.
The next morning was obviously a Sunday.
I woke with a big smile, imagining those two girls playing, wearing their nice clothes for mass and then scrubbing the front veranda with the beautiful scent and sight of flowers in front of them.
I could see them milking the cow in the back shed and the housekeeper, Milly, coming out to greet them.
Not only do I have my own beautiful memories of bringing my own children up in this home but I now also have the beautiful memories of childhood from 80 years ago.
Sometimes it can be the simplest things that leave the largest impact on us.
I think we were mutually grateful for the stories and big smiles we shared on that Saturday morning.
So your challenge for this week is to think of someone you have something in common with and start a conversation with them. See what happens and the smiles that may evolve.