What I Noticed First Wasn’t Her Smile

What I Noticed First Wasn’t Her Smile

Blog Article

In the world of online dating, we are trained to look for the smile. It’s the universal sign of warmth and friendliness, the centerpiece of a successful profile picture. But when I came across Anna's profile, my eyes were drawn somewhere else entirely: to her hands.

In her main photo, she was holding a half-finished clay pot on a potter's wheel. Her smile was lovely, yes, but it was her hands that told a story. They were covered in dried, grey clay, yet they were poised and graceful. They were the hands of a creator, someone who wasn't afraid to get messy to make something beautiful. In a sea of perfectly posed selfies, this image was a breath of fresh air. It was a picture of a person in the middle of their passion. It was an action shot, not a portrait. I was intrigued. I had been scrolling through profiles on sofia date for a while, but this was the first one that made me feel like I was seeing a real, unguarded moment.

My first message to her wasn't about her smile or her looks. I wrote, "Your hands look like they have a thousand interesting stories to tell. What are they working on?" The question seemed to land. She replied, telling me about her love for pottery, how it was a form of meditation for her, a way to shape chaos into something calm and whole. Our conversation unfolded from there, always circling back to the things we create and the passions that drive us. I eventually learned that her smile was just as wonderful as it looked, but I’ll always be glad that it wasn’t the first thing I noticed. I fell for her creativity, her passion, and her strength first. I fell for the story told by her hands.