As I entered the last mile of my early morning run, my feet were dragging.   Not because my run had been unusually challenging or long, but more because of what was rattling around in my head.  I had been unusually preoccupied with worries and concerns of late and even running hadn’t been able to shake it.   I ran as though the weight of the world was on my shoulders.

Approaching the intersection, I saw that I had company.   Waiting at the corner for the light to change, was a gal I had dubbed “The Hallelujah Woman”.   I had first become aware of her a couple of years ago while out running in the neighborhood.   I heard her long before I actually saw her.   Swinging the dumb bells she carried for extra weight, she was singing and hollering at the top of her lungs as she walked along. “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord, Glory Be and Bless His Name, Sing it, Sister.” It was pretty amazing that she could keep this up while swaying gracefully down the sidewalk, but she did, never missing a beat. At the time, I shook my head in amazement at the eccentricities of some people, and continued about my business.   I saw her again from time to time, she was a regular in the little community of Alterra, and it was always the same thing; singing, praying and enjoying her own little revival hour.

As I joined her on the sidewalk, she turned to me with a big smile and said, “Hallelujah, Sister.  Bless you”.   Up close, she was much older than I had originally thought.   The years had left some wear and tear on her, I figured she must be well into her 70’s.   However, much more compelling than her age was the look on her face.   I’ve never seen, nor felt, such genuine joy radiating from a person.   Her eyes twinkled, her face beamed, and her whole body just exuded happiness as she greeted me like I was the best thing she had seen all morning.   The aura of happiness around her was palpable.   I found my voice, returned her greeting, and went on my way.

As I continued down the road, I realized I was smiling.   The weight on my shoulders felt just a bit lighter.   Every time I thought about my encounter with the Hallelujah Woman, I would start smiling all over again.   I felt ashamed that I had initially judged her as just another eccentric.   This little African-American gal was a living, breathing example of a person who had truly embraced happiness. It was impossible to be around her without coming away with a smile.  And on the flip side of the coin, there was me.   Preoccupied with worry, wallowing in my anxieties and completely self-absorbed.   Anyone with the misfortune of being around me would go away feeling blue and burdened.  Wow.  There was no mystery around which person I wanted to be. Time to self-correct.

My real epiphany of the morning, however, was the realization of how powerful our ability is to affect one another.   A chance encounter at a traffic stop had totally changed the color of my morning.   It reminded me of a story my mom used to tell about the man who woke up miserable, barked at his wife, who yelled at the cook, who screamed at the chauffeur, who snapped at the son, who kicked the dog.  The man was amazed, and contrite, when he realized that he was the author of all this misery.

Worry and anxiety will always be a part of life’s journey, and when your circle of friends and family is large, there is always something or someone to fret about.  But I learned something from the Hallelujah Woman that morning.   When you rub shoulders with friends, family, or strangers, you can choose whether or not they leave with a smile on their face, or with a heavy heart and leaden feet.  This doesn’t mean we ignore real problems that need solutions, but issues will always be resolved more effectively from a position of hope rather than one of despair.   A smile will always be more powerful than a frown.

I don’t know that I will ever walk down the sidewalk, swinging weights, and singing revival songs, but all I have to do is think about it, and it makes me smile all over again.   Happiness is infectious and catching.   Be a carrier.   The Hallelujah Woman certainly was.