Donna Leonard, former owner of the Refuge Inn, has devoted much of her life to sharing the beauty and stories of Chincoteague Island with others. She recently suggested we share this poem by one of her closest island friends, Mr. Tom Reed. Tom often joined her aboard The Osprey for wildlife tours around Assateague, and was a familiar voice at local festivals and community gatherings. A beloved ambassador for Chincoteague’s folklife, Tom captured the spirit of this place in his poetry—a legacy that continues to live on through his published work. In honor of National Random Acts of Kindness Day, we’re grateful to share one of our favorites:
SMILES by Tom Reed
We just pass through this life but once,
So try to be happy & gay
Greet all the people you meet,
With a smile for it makes us feel better that way.
Spread lots of kindness as you pass along,
Make all the friends that you can,
It will make you feel better as you trod down the road,
To the end of your little life’s span.
There are times in our life when we may feel depressed,
And life don’t seem hardly worthwhile,
But that gloomy old feeling will vanish away
If you just look in the mirror and smile.
For a smile works like magic and this you will find,
In just about all that we do,
So smile at a fellow you meet on the street,
And a big smile will come back to you.
You can give them away as you journey through life,
And always have plenty left too.
You can save them all up, the smiles that you get,
And no one can steal them from you.
Smiles are forever, they never wear out,
You can use them again and again,
The never get tarnished, they never grow old,
They even shine out in the rain.
So give them away as fast as you can,
To people you meet young and old,
And you will find I am sure when you come to the end,
That smiles last much longer than gold.
For gold has no value when you lay down to die,
And jewels are lost in life’s race,
But I will be happy to know when I leave this old world,
That I died with a smile on my face.