Contagious…

We live within walking distance of a great little shopping village.

Awesome Tex-Mex restaurant.

Amazing Thai food.

Starbucks.

And an ice cream parlor.

My little people were restless on a sunny afternoon this week. So I told them we could walk up to the ice cream parlor.

We had 5 and 6 of 8’s dear, dear pal, Miss LP, with us. I was pushing-shoving-gasping-dragging the jogging stroller with the twins and 5, 6 and LP ran a few feet in front of me. They began waving to all the cars driving up the boulevard.

Waving, waving, waving.

For each driver or passenger that waved back, the kids would yell “Sweet!”.

And for each non-participating car, the kids would intone “Sour.”

For a distance, it seemed as if there were far more ‘Sour’ than ‘Sweet’.

But as the walk continued, more cars seemed to wave back, some waving and honking. And the kids were delighted, tickled, motivated to wave more vigorously.

It seemed to be catching.

By the time we reached the major intersection that would take us to the shopping village, virtually everyone was rewarding the kids’ friendliness with friendly waves and smiles of their own.

And it got me to thinking.

What if the kids had stopped waving after the first few sour cars? What if they had given up the service of bringing a smile to the faces of those traversing the same road?

It inspired me. Inspired me to continue to be pleasant on the road, in the grocery store line, in the waiting room.

Because that might just be the way to start a revolution.

One sweet wave and smile at a time.