A subtle confidence

This past week, I got my braces off.  I’ve had them for nearly two years, which to be fair, is not a lot, though I got them on a little bit later than most of my peers, and thus, I still had them on during high school.  When they came off, my teeth felt oddly smooth and slimy, and I could eat normally!  

But since my braces came off on Wednesday, I have gained more confidence.  Someone in my English class said to me that she sees me smile more.  I am petite, and most people would agree that I do not look my age.  Braces only made me appear younger, and more like a middle school kid.  With them off now, I’ve gained a weird sort of confidence.  It’s not the same kind of confidence that I feel when I’ve scored well on a test or organized a successful school event.  I’d like to think of it as a subtle confidence, in something as small as a smile.  It’s not something that’s a life changer; it merely expresses another of my emotions.  It radiates when I’m walking through campus and say hi to someone, when I laugh, when I’m happy, or when I’m interested in something someone else has to say.  It’s not an internal confidence I feel; it’s a subtle type of confidence that penetrates through certain emotions like happiness.