Reason to Smile #8

Live Piano Music

There is something about live music - hearing somebodies talent and being able to appreciate their hard work. My house is constantly filled with live piano music as multiple of my family members can play the keys. There is a lot of practicing which means a lot of mistakes and repetition, but still it is beautiful. The tune can bring joy to the soul and is entertainment with one's eyes open or closed. I love hardly being able to keep up watching somebody play the piano as their fingers fly insanely fast. I enjoy a wide array of songs and sounds. It is especially lovely when it is a piano concert or recital dedicated to making wonderful music with a piano. Such a versatile instrument and able to blend and carry the harmony or to stand out and do its own thing. While I do love listening to piano covers on YouTube, there is something special about hearing it live.
Live Piano Music =  dynamic smiles

Below is a link to one of my favorite piano pieces:
Evening Star - First Flight
Yes, I have had the amazing opportunity to hear this played in person.

Reason to Smile #7

Swimming Pools

So I may be biased as I was a competitive swimmer for 19 years of my life, but there is something magical about a swimming pool in the summer. Unless terrified of the water, most are drawn near to the pools refreshing, cool water that seems to shimmer in the sun. You can go to swim laps, do handstands underwater, jump from the diving board or sides, ride a water slide, splash around in the shallow end, or just float . . . the list is really never ending. It is always a fun summer option when the weather permits, and can keep you entertained for hours. People do not even have to get in the pool, and can choose to just layout in the sunshine on one of the deck chairs. There are many different kinds of pools: indoor pools, outdoor pools, public pools, private pools, country club pools, community center pools, school pools, YMCA pools. Of all of these pools, each and every one has their own unique appeal. You can be there to race or to lounge or to play marco polo or to work or to train. The smell of the chlorine and the sunscreen, the sound of a life guard's whistle and children's laughter, the feeling of the water and the sun on your skin, the sight of clear blue water and new tan lines; all these things make a pool wonderful and pleasant.
Swimming Pools = smiling sunburnt cheeks

Reason to Smile #6

Photo Shoots

They don't have to be anything fancy, but it always nice to plan a location, an event, and pick an outfit out to go take a photo shoot. While I do enjoy taking someone along to be my photographer, I have done self photo shoots with the self-timer feature. I have used fancy cameras, iPhone cameras, disposable camera, waterproof cameras, and Polaroids. I think I like being the photographer as much as I like to be the model. Having a professional photo session is always fun, but there is something exciting about a spontaneous, pinterest planned photo shoot. I am almost always down to go on /do a photo shoot if I have free time.
Photo Shoots = photogenic smiles

Reason to Smile #5

Waking Up Before the Alarm Clock 

It may be because we are startled awake, we check the time and smile in relief because we still have many more hours to sleep. My favorite though is when you wake up before your alarm clock because your body has gotten enough sleep. You feel refreshed and woke up naturally because of the beautiful sunshine or the birds are chirping. Your body is ready for the day to start and you know that you slept well. One of the best parts of all this is that you can chose to lay in bed until your alarm does go off, whether it be 10 minutes or a whole hour; you can lay there and dream about the day and not stress because this is still scheduled sleeping time. You can also choose to rise early, trying to get some things accomplished with this extra time you have been blessed with (just like me writing this blog post). As much as some of us hate to hear our alarm clocks go off in the morning, it is a treat to start the day before the sound that typically forces us out of sleep.
Waking up before alarm clocks = drowsy smiles

Reason to Smile #4

Custom Headstones

Yes, you read that correctly. Today was a sad day as I had to attend a funeral; while I was standing in a cemetery surrounded by family I couldn't help but notice all the different gravestones. Headstones can make people sad as they mark that someone is now forever missing from our lives, but it can also serve as a reminder of all of the memories we had with them. I saw headstones with bible verses of encouragement, poems that could make you smile as you cried, pictures of the love one, designs capturing things they loved such as flowers or their family farm house. While these things did make me sad, I could not help but remember that our life on earth is not forever and that this is not our home. Custom Headstones can give us hope that the best is yet to come, and while filled with sadness we can also be filled with hope and peace.
Custom Headstones = memories of those who made us smile

Reason to Smile #3

Lightning 

There is something very refreshing about a storm’s breeze during the hot months of summer, of course this post is not about summer storms (I’ll probably post on that later). Lightning is amazing because it lights up the sky and out of darkness appears the beauty. I particularly like cloud lightning, first I like clouds (post coming so) and second then I know that the lighting isn’t striking or destroying anything on the ground. Lightning can be a scary thing, but sometimes even scary things that we may not ever fully understand can be wonderful. I always love a good lightning storm even if it keeps me up at night because I can just sit and watch the sky in awe. 

Lightning = awe{struck} smiles

Reason to Smile #2

Newborn Babies

Yes they can look like aliens, they cry to communicate, and they can be messy . . . that is all besides the point because there is something precious about a newborn. When I say newborn, I am talking just hours to days old. As a hospital employee, I have the pleasure of seeing new babies often. I get to see their excited families show them off. The thing I like most about newborns is that they have their whole lives in front of them, they have no memory of pain. Almost every day they have another first, another accomplishment no matter how small, and those are what make me smile. They are completely dependent, and have no say in the matter; they are forced to trust. Tiny little packages of joy with soft hair and adorable reactions to the world around them. 
Newborn Babies = smiling faces on young and old alike

Reason to Smile #1

Sonic Happy Hour

From 2-4 everyday a person can get half priced drinks from Sonic. The drinks can be of any size and they have so many drink options. On top of this they have a variety of foods that are offered at a discount for the snack size. It is the perfect option for hot summer days, as you can cool down with something as exotic as a cherry limeade slush with add candy pieces or something simple as a lemon water. I always think happy hour is a deal, and in my hometown where Sonic has become a hangout place, going to Sonic during happy hour can result in seeing friends or just chilling in the car to chat with who you brought along. I love when someone asks me if I want to go to Sonic for happy hour, and will hardly every turn them down.
Sonic Happy Hour = smiles all around

Smile

Today, I was thinking why do humans smile? Happiness is often associated with a smiling face, but what makes us smile? 

Things I do know about smiles:

• Most people enjoy smiling (when it's not forced for taking a million pictures). Humans find smiling faces more attractive than a face without a bright smile. 
• You can smile with teeth or without.
•  It takes less muscles to smile than to frown.
   

Life can be chaotic and a whirlwind that only seems to go faster with age. While I have many happy moments, there is also a fair share of moments where there seem to be no smiles to be found - a break up, a death, an abrupt ending to an adventure, the closing of a chapter - and the list goes on and on. Sometimes I just do not want to smile, even feel like I’ll never smile again. So in my spare time I’m making a list, a list that includes all the things that can make me smile. I want to be able to come up with a reason to smile even if it seems like there is none because I know I can always find something little out there that can bring me joy (since smiling is easier than frowning). In no particular order, and with the hopes of bringing a smile to someone’s face I give you the series - Reasons to Smile