Show Your Teeth!

Today, I`m thinking about smiles.

I love smiles.

Smiles make you feel good.

They cross all language barriers.

And ages.

One of the first milestones we watch for in a newborn baby is that first smile.

 A smile from someone in nasty traffic is a sure-fire way to put the sun back in the sky and help you relax.

A smile is wonderful news.

A smile is friendship.

A smile is love.

But smiles are weird.

Really.

Can you think of any other species that shows its teeth (Or gums. Remember the baby…) as a sign of friendliness and/or encouragement?

Okay, I’ve seen a few dogs, cats and horses and even a couple of bears use their teeth in an ‘affectionate’ gesture of correction toward their young.

Well I assumed it was affectionate.

But seriously, who figured out that smiling was a sure fire way to say, “Hello! I’m so happy to know you! I hope you have a great day!”

It must have started somewhere.

At some point in time, someone said to themselves: I’m going to show my teeth to those people as a sign that I really like them.

See what I mean?

P.S. I did have a dog that smiled. Muffy. (She of the long, shaggy hair and the wiggly bum and the heart of sweet, sweet marshmallow.) She really smiled. But one day, when she was in the yard and I wasn’t, she smiled at the letter carrier, who then called her supervisor to report a vicious dog.

Yep. Smiles are weird.