Sending Smiles

Some of these kiddos at Sovietsk just don't smile enough. It's understandable. When you've lost your family and feel rejected by the ones you love most, why should you smile? These children are cautious when it comes to trusting people, and they are guarded from showing emotions. They've been vulnerable before, to disastrous results. So one thing we strive to do with these children is bring a few more smiles.

That's why I love this picture! We're visiting the Sovietks history museum which had a special wax figure display. So, you see Kolai, me, Zhenya, and Piotr the great in the background. You can see a glimmer of smile on Kolai's face, and Zhenya's eyes are smiling. He tried to hold it in, but the smile comes through.

We met Kolai last year, in 2009, for the first time. He's had a hard life, and he is a sweet young man. He and Ben spent a good amount of time together working and playing soccer, and he is very personable. We've known Zhenya since our very first visit to Sovietsk. This is the FIRST time he's spent an extended period of time with us, accepted hugs, and shown a glimmer of smile. It warmed my heart and brought me to tears when we left. After 4 visits and many, many letters, maybe he buys it. Maybe he knows we're not kidding, and we truly care about him. He's among the oldest at the orphanage now, and he was so proud of his position as a leader. We are so proud of him.

Writing letters and sending photos is a great chance to send smiles to these kids. When I write, I like to use the word 'smile' every so often, maybe sharing a memory about them that makes me smile. Reading the world smile often leads the reader to smile, and smiling increases oxytocin and other positive hormones while decreasing stress hormones. This is SO healthy for our over-stressed, under-smiling children. If you want to do your part in sending a smile, let me know and we'll connect you with a child to whom you can write and send your love.

Thanks for caring about these special children!