If someone smiles at me, I am more likely to smile back. If someone smiled at me with a cleft lip or cleft palate I must admit I would smile but I would feel a tad uncomfortable.

This Fall it seems like these images are surfacing everywhere I go. I recently went to a Bat Mitzvah where the girl was donating all her money to a national organization that raises money to repair such smiles. Even the Rabbi commented how he sees these photos in the New York Times every Sunday before he does the crossword puzzle and quickly flips over them. Yet, as a result of the girls mitzvah pledge he now sees how he can make a difference in a child's life through a small donation.

I too have recently overcome my uncomfortable glances at the smile and I now see the child and the spirit they embody. Through Kim Valentini and Steve Schussler and Smile Network
International I too have learned that for less than $500 a child can have surgery to repair their smile and change their life. I'm going to make my donation and show my kids how to make a difference in someone's life.