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Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile

"It's what you wear from ear to ear, and not from head to toe that matters" (whether it‘s a blazer, pajamas, or both :P)

When I was in fifth grade, I was chosen to play the main role in the beloved musical Annie. Well, beloved to everyone else...I grew up in an immigrant household so any American pop culture references before the turn of the millennium tend to go over my head. I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was to land the part of Annie, the beloved curly-haired red-headed orphan.


We rehearsed for weeks, working on choreography, lines, harmonies, staging, and even costume design, but I didn’t realize until the day before the opening show that I was expected to wear a curly red wig. I unfortunately don’t have any pictures, probably because I didn’t let anyone document this event, so imagine a 11-year-old Indian girl with a mane of red hair that kept slipping around. I felt RIDICULOUS.

It was an astoundingly sub-par performance by yours truly, and it was one that I can’t even blame on our small STEM charter school's lack of set design, backdrops, or proper lighting. I knew I wasn't giving it my all, because it felt like the creative fire in me had instead been sucked into the wig I was wearing, so I went through the motions, half-heartedly got through my scenes, and just prayed for it to be over. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and fortunately I can’t really blush, or my face would have been as red as the wig on my head. It really was the Hard Knock Life.

Then came Act 2, which opened with the song, “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile,” and as I was singing those words and flashing my jazz hands, I realized that’s what I had been missing: a smile. I was playing the role of Annie, an orphan who didn’t even know if her parents would come back for her, and my biggest worry was my wig? Instead of enjoying this opportunity to sing and dance with my friends, I was ruining it by being upset about a prop. It was like someone flipped a switch in my head, and I broke out into a huge grin. I will never forget that moment, because it was the day I realized that no matter the circumstances, you should never go anywhere without a smile.

So if you’ve ever lived with me and I’ve blasted my music a little too loud in the morning, you’ll know that an important part of my morning routine is listening to that song, “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.” Everyone needs that little reminder every so often, so I put that song on as I get ready to face the world, come what may. In a time like now, when some of us are at home and don’t even have to get dressed in the morning anymore, and others of us get dressed to face the uncertainty of today's world, it's easy to lose sight of the little things that can make a huge difference, like a smile. (Also, I guarantee that this video of the 2014 version of the song will bring a huge smile to your face.)


Next week (yes, I'm actually planning ahead now!), I'm going to be posting a little more about the little things that can bring us joy even in the hardest times - I think 2020 definitely falls in that category. This week, I encourage you to make note of just one thing each day that made you smile, or one thing that you made better with a smile, because when you force yourself to write it down, that smile comes back every time you read it. For me, just knowing that I will jot down a happy moment each evening has made me more aware of the joyful things that are happening around me, and even encouraged me create those pockets of joy for myself.


:)

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