The woman who never smiles (and why that's so wrong)

I recently read about Tess Christian, a 50 year old woman who claims she hasn't smiled in 40 years in order to avoid wrinkles.

Never.  Not even on the most joyful occasions, like when she got married or when her daughter was born.

Apparently it's second nature to her now; she has just trained herself to keep her features neutral. She just never smiles.

Tess Christian

The result? Yeah, she looks pretty good for 50.  But she's not going to delay the aging process forever, and meantime she has deprived herself and others around her of so many happy moments.

How sad.

The power of a smile

Not only that, but Christian has denied herself the many benefits of smiling.

According to this article, "Studies suggest that smiling, forced or not, can have a positive effect on your mood, decrease stress levels, and even make everyone around you feel better."

Studies also suggest that smiling releases endorphins, strengthens your immune system, and makes you look more attractive to others.

As I age, I have found that a smile is an instant "youthener." (Yes, I made that up.)  Some people even say it's an instant face lift.

Non-smiling features drag your face down.  A smile lights up your face.

Christie Brinkley is 60 plus, and lets her smile light up her face

I wouldn't trade places with Tess Christian for the world, even if it saved me a few laugh lines.  I don't think I could live without smiling!

What do you think? Let me know in my comments section.

I'm partipating today in Thursday Favorite Things, hosted by Katherine's Corner!