Reason to Smile # 14

Making Other People Smile

If you can't seem to make yourself smile, try to make someone else smile. Sometimes I put a smile on my face just so I cant help put a smile on someone else's face. I couldn't have put it into better words than I read in my devotion this morning, "Smiling isn't just good for you, a genuine smile blesses those on the receiving end as well."

Making Other People Smile = smiles all around

Reason to Smile #13

Letters

I like writing letters, but I love receiving them. I love how they can be simple on mere notebook paper or in a fancy card, and both are heartfelt. Often I store my letters and go back to reread them multiple times. It is not the same as face to face contact, but there is something about a letter that makes a person feel special. Holding a letter, you can think to yourself that someone took the time to write it for you and they were thinking of you as they wrote. Even a brief note, nothing over the top special brings a smile to my face. I like writing letters to people in return to thank them for making me smile and with the hopes I can get them to smile as well.
Letters = Smiles worthy of being featured on a stamp

Reason to Smile #12

Board Games

Most games are fun, but there is something special about a board game - sitting around a game with people who you dearly enjoy. The game can be fast paced or slow and both require thinking. Some are strategy games and other are pure luck. Board games make me smile more than just card games or video games because of the physical aspect where there are often pieces and you can see from how the set up is just how well you are doing. There can be underdogs and comebacks. Board games are an investment because people have to invest their time to be present to play (plus they can be kind of pricey), but they are so worth it. Some have to be set up and others don't, either way they are all magical and fun. Holding the pieces in your hand, it's almost as if the game has specifically been made for just for you. I have to be in the mood to want to sit down and play a whole game through, so if I ask if you want to play a board game with me it means you are something special. Playing a board game can almost make big problems disappear as suddenly it seems like the only problems that exist are the ones in the game. It can be an escape when you become your game pieces and the goal is to win, even if it is just a game. I love how playing a board game will not only bring a smile to my face because normally everyone who is playing with me will also have smiles on their faces. Some of my favorite board games include Settlers of Catan, The Game of Life, and Guessword.
Board Games =  gamesome smiles

Reason to Smile #11

Shooting Stars 

A couple evenings ago as I was walking my dogs before getting ready for bed I saw a shooting star. I had to blink twice just to make sure I wasn't seeing things or just wished it to happen, but I did indeed see a glorious star brightening up the sky going from south to north in a brilliant array of color - orange, blue, green, purple - ultimately fading away. I smiled and made a wish. To think if I hadn't been looking up at the stars at just the right moment I may have missed the 3 second shooting star streak that made me smile. Sometimes when I see a shooting star, I wonder if I am the only one in the whole world who saw it. What if the star only carries my wish? There are more stars in the sky than could ever be counted and this one decided to dance across the night sky just for me. Now meteor showers are a real treat, totally worth staying up until odd hours of the night and driving to the middle of nowhere so there is not any light pollution to be able to see a shooting star every minute. Not all shooting stars are the same:some are white, some travel quickly, others are colorful, stars can sometimes seem to travel in pairs (double shooting stars are amazing), they can travel in any direction, and my favorite are the colorful ones.
Shooting Stars = Make a wish and smile

Reason to Smile #10

Books

A gateway to another world, books are simply wonderful. I am laying here smiling because I just finished a 470 page book I less than 8 hours (and that wasn’t even reading straight, I also made dinner and went for a run). While reading I could disappear, I could escape the real world. I absolutely love books because I love reading. The book can be old, new, paperback, hardback, fiction, non-fiction, have pictures, or have none (I do prefer real books over electronic versions). I also love the way a book smells. As they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” They can be ones that I own and am rereading for the hundredth time or they can be rented from the library and I am exploring the new adventure for the first time. Books are a way that a person expresses themselves in a way they could never do aloud. They can be like a character or have similar qualities to all the characters in their book. I use to dream of writing a book, but I guess writing a blog will have to suffice. 

Books = pageturning smiles

Reason to Smile #9

Fireflies

If you think about it, these insects butts glow to attract another firefly . . . like how can someone not smile when they think about that. I grew up in a state that did not have fireflies also known as lightning bugs, and the fact that I did not discover these joyful insects until I was a teenager makes me sort of sad. I love walking at night and seeing them light of the dark summer sky; buzz buzz buzz - glow - buzz buzz buzz - glow. They are fun to try to catch, but normally won't light up in a jar so once caught should be let go. The best part is there is never just one, but sometimes hundreds and seemingly thousands, all putting on a show. Fireflies are some of the only insect I enjoy being in the same area as.
Fireflies = lit up smiles