When You Smile, The World Smiles Back

Today, I watched A Wonderful World, a Broadway musical, with my parents (which was excellent, by the way).

One of my favorite moments was when Louis Armstrong meets Lincoln Perry, one of the first Black entertainers to make it big. Perry gives Armstrong a piece of advice: as an entertainer, you need to have your thing.

To illustrate his point, Perry shows off his dance skills, then turns to Armstrong and asks, What’s your thing?

Armstrong, with his signature bright grin, simply replies, It’s my smile.

He then launches into one of his famous tunes, singing, When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.

There’s a saying about Louis Armstrong: He was born poor, died rich, and never hurt anyone along the way. His warm smile and ability to spread happiness wherever he went are proof of that.