I sat down at a table today in the student center, planning to talk to my mom for a bit and then to read the scriptures before doing homework. Plenty of people were around eating lunch, watching the news, talking on the phone like me, studying, etc. I wasn't paying much attention (mom was telling me about my brother Johnny's latest romantic scheme) but on some level I realized that there was a boy sitting at the table across from me. I felt like I had seen him before (but that's a pretty common feeling on campus). Anyway, I remember thinking that maybe I should call my mom later and talk to this boy--not because I wanted to be flirtatious; he was sitting by himself, too, and I thought he might enjoy some friendly conversation. At some point while I was thinking about this, a bubbly blonde girl came up and smiled animatedly at him. They began to talk cheerfully, but not with their voices--with their hands.
It was so intriguing to watch. I don't know if you've ever seen people conversing in sign language, but to me it looks like joy in motion. It's interesting that, though there are technically no sounds, sign language draws the attention and turns the head just as much as the sound of happy speech (at least for me). I've only seen sign language a few times. To me it is beautiful.
Anyway, I continued to talk to my mom on the phone but was a bit distracted by the excited facial expressions, raising eyebrows, smiles, as well as waving, dipping, linking, and swooping hands that I could see across the table from me. It was so interesting and lovely to watch. Also, I was happy to see the boy so happily engaged in conversation. Only after the blonde girl came up did I realize that he had a hearing aid.
I love the way smiles make the face blossom. It made me so happy to see him smiling. It seems like you don't really see people until they smile or in some way interact with others. Smiling really does make the face (and seemingly soul) come alive---it's like a robot in a movie coming out of hibernation mode (yea--that was a pretty geeky analogy). The point is: I love to see people smile. Even more, I love that we have the ability to help people want to smile. I'm so grateful for friendship. It's such a nice feeling to be connected to others and to have little moments throughout your day where people recognize you and say hello :). I'm glad I got to witness such a nice little moment of friendship.
Later, as I was thinking about all of this I remembered one of my favorite things. I love that our Savior, Jesus Christ, was (and is) a friend to everyone. It really strikes me that he spoke with, ate with, and befriended even those who were shunned by the rest of society. Though I might feel compassion toward someone with leprosy, it might be difficult for me to physically take their hand. But Christ did so unflinchingly. For example, we read in Matthew 8: 1-2, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if though wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed."
Just as I saw hands bringing friendship at lunch today, Christ's hands brought friendship to the outcasts and bring it also to everyone. I don't think there are many hands more beautiful than those that reach out in love.
*The photo for this post came from www.prints.com. The artist is a man named Greg Olsen--you can see more of his art at http://www.gregolsengallery.com/
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