"It's a Beautiful Day!"

"It's a beautiful day!"

It was a sunny day, and I had to agree with my classmate at BCTI. I don't recall his name, but his genuine smile and friendly greeting made my day.

Next day...

"It's a beautiful day!"

This time it was raining out, and the weather was nasty. The commute to school had been frustrating at times. But he wore the same friendly smile and joyful demeanor. Once again, it made my day.

Image from: Kraken images

Every day it was the same. No matter the weather, no matter what was going on, no matter how stressful classes were, he always had the same smile and the same friendly greeting that couldn't help but make me smile. "It's a beautiful day!"

It's true. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We miss so much joy and beauty when we focus on the rain and doom and gloom around us. Things are tough sometimes. But we can look at life with a more optimistic viewpoint, as this guy did. I wish I could remember his name. I hope he reads this, as he continues to inspire me over 20 years later, nearly half a lifetime ago. He taught me an important lesson in joy and optimism. We can't necessarily control our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them.

His joy was contagious.

With a simple smile and a (sometimes unexpected) greeting, he had a way of melting any fears and tension away. I want to be like that when I grow up. If you are reading this, sir, I salute you and thank you for the inspiration you are.