Here is my new story. I hope it reminds you of just how much you can make a difference in this world.

An elderly friend wrote me recently. She was discouraged about her failing health. But the thing that bothered her the most was she was no longer able to volunteer and help her community the way she used to. At the end of the letter she asked me: “What can I do to make this world better at my age?”

I wrote her back that every little thing she does can make this world better, that even the briefest smile can change a life. And I shared a story that I’d read recently. A young man had given up on life. He had become so filled with sadness and despair that he decided to go to his apartment and kill himself. As he was walking home he stopped at a corner to wait for a car to pass. As the car drove slowly by, the woman behind the wheel looked directly at him and flashed him a huge smile. That smile was so warm, so joyful, and so caring that it convinced him that there was still some goodness left in the world, and he decided not to end his life but rather to try and live it fully again.

I reminded my friend that while we all strive to do big things in this world, it is actually the little things we do each day that make a difference. A shared smile, a caring word, an act of kindness can all help to heal a heart, uplift a soul and change a life. In the end it is these things that change the world and change us. Every act of love, no matter how small makes a major difference in this world. And you are never too old to share them.

God Loves us all so much. God wants us to Love as well. And when we Love we will have joy, we will help others, and we will make a difference in this world. From your first day until your last you can help God to make this life better for everyone. No act of kindness is too small. No act of love is insignificant. Even the smallest smile can change a life.