A walk up the front sidewalk of Lois Severin’s University City home and you can’t help but smile. Her sidewalk and driveway are covered with huge painted smiley faces.
“I love life. that's all I can say,” said the 81-year-old Severin.
Severin’s love of life is obvious when you enter her house. Family photos, artwork, stuffed animals, two walls covered in women’s hats, even a unicycle propped up against the way.
And there’s about 25,000 smile stickers and bumper stickers that say “Vote for St. Lois”.
St. Lois of St. Louis is a long shot for president of the United States. She’s head of the Smilocracy Party, with a platform of global happiness.
“I meet all these great people and they smile at me,” said Severin.
That’s the whole point of her cross country road trips to hand out smile stickers, 25,000 and counting.
“One third of the time people say ‘I really needed that today,’ or ‘you’ve changed my life,’" she said. "‘Oh my gosh I was having a horrible day. Now I'm going to smile.’ I never knew in my wildest dreams it would bring these kinds of reactions, but it does and you just feel good.”
Severin said her Million Smiles Campaign has changed her life. It’s a life that includes 47-years of marriage, surviving breast cancer and a decades-long friendship with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“It's an amazing thing because I never know what to say back to her because she's so brilliant, but she's a dear friend and a loving person,” Severin said.
Severin’s presidential campaign is part fun, part hope.
“Joy, peace, love each other you guys,” said Severin, “and vote for me.”
For more information, visit www.smilocracy.org.
