Lifting spirits with a smile

Jason Klaiber

Having caught wind of a Brighton Towers resident known to brighten people’s moods with his smiley face sign, Margaret Ingraham knew she had to continue that trend over on her side of town.

On that whim, the Manlius mother of three bought materials from a local arts and crafts store, but in time she decided to depend on Kassis Superior Signs for a less rippable smiley face made from corrugated cardboard.

From there, Ingraham began floating around the east side to wave around the large, yellow expression of cheer, usually gravitating to street corners with a high volume of passing traffic.

Her favorite spot is by the stoplight in front of the East Genesee Street Wegmans—a location that poses little endangerment to her safety and minimal distraction for drivers, so long as they keep from “whipping by too fast,” she says.

Though she started by holding up her sign only periodically through the earlier days of the pandemic, she stepped up the frequency to multiple times a week this winter, not minding the cold once she gets to moving around enough.

“This past Christmastime, the weight of the world was on everybody’s faces,” Ingraham said. “We’ve been living through a pandemic, worldwide confusion, fear, and suffering, so I figured anyone feeling down and out could use a reminder to smile.”

Sometimes joined by friends and relatives for her joy-spreading exercise and sometimes all on her own, Ingraham is nonetheless always accompanied by danceable music from the likes of Donna Summer, Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald while she twirls her sign. OPEN

“It’s like going up on stage and doing a performance at times because you’re standing in a public place and trying your hardest to make a difference for people,” she said. “Mentally you have to not care what anybody thinks about you.”

Ingraham said she derives her biggest delight from jumping up and down on the sidewalk next to stopped school buses, moments that have provided noticeable laughter to children onboard who have their smiles covered, she recalls.

Others she refers to as “go get ‘em types” have been willing to honk their horns in support or fist pump out their rolled-down car windows. Some have even handed her complimentary hot chocolate and doughnuts in thanks for the boost in spirit. SWM

Manlius resident Margaret Ingraham (left) has made it a mission to bring out smiles with her routine sign waving.