Lessons in Smiling

I had to use this picture at some point on my blog!

On Saturday we went to have family pictures taken for the first time since Jonathan got back from Chile. Before we went out, we used the timer on the camera to get some family pictures in our living room. We had the somewhat ingenious idea to hold Becky like superman... this was our first attempt. I will always giggle looking at this picture. I tried desperately to save my baby sister but, alas, my efforts merely flipped her over on her journey to the ground. :) But don't worry- she's fine!

Another thing I'll always think about when I see this picture is the fact that it was taken at a difficult time in all of our lives. Each of the women on this picture (Becky's hand is just about in it!) was having an emotional rollercoaster of a month. Yet, we're all laughing. I love my family.

I have always been a believer in the power of smiling. I remember my Mother telling me when I was really young about a book that she had started to read when she was young called "The fascinating girl". I don't think she actually even read past the first chapter; but she learned from that book the importance of smiling and she applied it in her life. She noticed that it really worked! I remember learning that for myself as I walked back from my high school. I used to walk past the CO-OP at the top of the road and challenge myself to smile at everyone and see what reactions I got. Everytime I got a smile back it felt like a win! I used to keep count. :)

The importance of smiling was re-emphasised to me this sunday. I was visiting another ward, away from home, and ended up sharing a hymn book with a lady there who was in a wheelchair. It was just natural, I guess, but someone commented afterwards about how touched they had been to see me do that and they particularly commented on my smile as I did it. How normal a thing to do, yet when we live life with a smile it touches people. In fact, I really feel that there are always eyes on us, even when we don't notice it. Which is why it is so important to always smile- even when your heart is breaking.

I also smiled at a little toddler this week who had the grumpiest face on that I have ever seen! Once she saw my smile it took her about 3 seconds to start grinning from ear to ear. I'm not brilliant with little kids but a smile is absolutely universal. If a child takes it as a cue to smile, adults have absolutely no reason to misunderstand it!

I am determined to smile more. :)