Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a poet and fighter pilot, fought against the Nazis and died in action in 1944. Prior to World War II, he had also fought in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists. Drawing from that experience, he later wrote a fascinating story entitled ‘The Smile’ (Le Sourire).

Prisoner of war

Saint-Exupery said that he was captured by the enemy and thrown into a jail cell. He was sure that from the contemptuous looks and rough treatment he received from his jailers he would be executed the next day.

“I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous and distraught. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those."

My last hope

“I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. After all, one does not make eye contact with a thing, a corpse. I called out to him ‘Have you got a light, por favor?’ He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette."

“As he came close and lit the match, his eyes inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don’t know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn’t want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile."

Saved by a smile

Saint Exupery continues his story, “I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension, too. ‘Do you have kids?’ he asked."

“ ‘Yes, here, here.’ I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his ninos and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I’d never see my family again, never have a chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too."

“Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently let me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.” (Saint-Exupery, author of The Little Prince)

Quote to ponder

“Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other - it doesn’t matter who it is - and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.”

- Mother Teresa

Question to consider

What is something you can do today to brighten someone’s day?

Click on the links below to learn more about making a difference for others

How Service Shapes Personal Growth - Lessons From Everyday Struggles: A simple experiment in San Diego reveals how service shapes personal growth through small acts of kindness, courage, and human connection.

Mindset Minute Video - Use Your Strengths to Lift Others: Student Body VP Cooper Acor teaches that as we work to discover our strengths, we can use them to benefit those around us.