General News
22 February, 2026
Smiles with Sally: Try something different
We are happy to say. 'Smiles with Sally' has sparked a movement amongst our readers, and every time we hear this, it makes us smile. However, our Smiles with Sally columnist had little to smile about recently after a tumble from her mountain bike, but we'll let her tell you more about that in this weeks column.
“If you need anything you make sure you call and ask for me!"
"There will be no cost, and I will help with washing clothes, dishes, or anything else. Please, please call me!!"
Those were the words said to me on one of my first public outings in my hometown after a mountain bike accident. Both of my arms were in back slabs, which is just a little hard to hide.
I walked into a local café, quietly hoping to grab some lunch with friends with no fuss.
Instead, the barista stepped straight out from behind the counter and offered help, which was real genuine help and not polite sympathy.
I barely knew them, and yet there they were, standing in front of me with genuine care and a soft, steady smile.
Earlier that same day, people I knew, but not overly closely, stopped me in the supermarket to ask if I was okay. They wanted to check in and slow down long enough to see me.
That same day, a friend had driven more than 20 kilometres just to pick me up for lunch.
They arrived with zucchini slices and protein balls and offered the kind of practical kindness that says, “you don’t have to manage this on your own”.
One week later, a different café, a different person, and the same unexpected offer.
In between, there were lifts to appointments, messages, quiet check-ins, and offers from people I knew, but not particularly well, and I found myself asking a question I think many of us secretly carry, “Why is it sometimes the people we least expect who show up the most?”
Do you ever feel surprised by who offers support, or quietly disappointed by who doesn’t?
Do you notice yourself feeling more comfortable accepting help from strangers than from people you’ve helped many times before?
There are truly beautiful, caring people all around us, but if we keep our heads down and only make space for the people we already know, we may be missing some incredibly meaningful connections.
Sometimes support is closer than we think. It just doesn’t arrive in the packaging we imagined.
Here’s the honest part. I am very good at supporting others but far less skilled at letting others support me.
If you are like me, always saying “I’m fine”, “I’ve got this”, and “don’t worry about me” you may not realise what you’re doing.
You may not be protecting people, but denying them the opportunity to care, and caring matters.
Research consistently shows that giving help is strongly linked to improved wellbeing and social connection for the person offering it (World Health Organization, 2023; Aknin et al., 2013).
In simple terms, kindness helps both sides. Letting someone help you is not a weakness.
It is an invitation into shared humanity.
What I have learned from this accident is simple, but powerful.
You never know when you might need support unexpectedly, and when that moment arrives, it may be a stranger, not a close friend, who gives you exactly what you need.
This week's challenge: Try something different. Why not smile at someone outside your immediate circle, accept the offer when given, and let yourself be seen even when it feels uncomfortable, because one day, that same smile may quietly walk back into your life just when you need it most.