Smile

Smile.

It's one of my favorite songs.
(Not coincidentally, Barbra covered it...)

It's such a little thing you can do for another person, 

that can absolutely brighten their day.

Today, I smiled.

I smiled when Ella called my name from her crib, holding her blankie
and her bottle for me to take before I swept her into my arms and
she laid her head on my shoulder and patted my back.
She was happy to see me and she loved me.
I saw all of that in her smile.

I smiled when Charlie cried that he didn't want to go
to school anymore because they took away the nap time
that he loved so much.

I smiled when Kate dressed herself up to the nines
for just a regular day. Sporting her recent favorite
dress and twirling around, shy-smiling and feeling pretty.

I smiled when Ella made Tante Rachel's day just by
so easily sharing her love and her smile.

I smiled when our family met a new person and welcomed him
into our lives because our sister loves him and he loves her back.

I smiled when the kids played ball together in the backyard.
Kicking and throwing and running all crazy & loud like
only our family can get. But I love them, just the same.

I smiled when the girls wanted to take photo of them all jumping
at the same time but couldn't get it together.
The pictures turned out better this way though -
(because they are smiling so beautifully.)

I smiled when Kate got into my mom's lip gloss
and put it on so thickly that she looked like she ate
a whole bowl of chocolate pudding.

Of course, I can sit here and list all the things that went wrong today too,
because it's life and we always get a mix of good and bad...but why?

"The world always looks 

brighter from behind a smile." 

Author Unknown

"You'll find life is still worthwhile,
if you just smile..."

and so I smiled.

Everything will be okay.