Bringing Back the Smiles

It was a particularly hard time in my life. I had three small children and my youngest, just a year old, was not thriving. We were in a new house, in a new neighborhood, and we were all trying to adjust, but my youngest, Emily, was losing weight and malaise. She didn’t want to eat, her stools were very loose. I was conflicted with information from the doctor, all the tests to be run, the natural remedies, and new dietary things to try. My daughter was regressing and I was frazzled! 

In the midst of the turmoil my mom brought to us a lovingly decorated plastic bucket with instructions. We were told to write down the funny or heartwarming things the children said and did and put them in the bucket. When life felt tough we were to pull these slips of paper out of the bucket and bring back the smiles! 

The first thing this quest did was help us notice the joy the children brought to life so naturally. Each day was full of funny and heartwarming moments, such as:

“Bj was such a good brother today. As he and Ryan came home in the pouring rain after school, he stayed close to Ryan as he rode his bike. He had given Ryan his coat to wear though all Bj had on was a short-sleeve shirt.”

“It was Santa’s Secret Workshop at school today where the children could pick out small gifts for their friends and family at an inexpensive cost. Bj’s comment after school was that he tried to think of something he’d really liked so he’d know if Ryan would like it if he got it for him. Bj liked these cool rabbit feet of different colors, so he thought Ryan would want one because it was so soft. Ryan’s first comment to me when he came home from school was, “Ew, Mom, do you know what? They had these poor little rabbit feet all dyed in different colors for sale. Isn’t that sad!””

Our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease and I was soon on my way to figuring out that diet. She miraculously regained her health and life went on. Our bucket of quotes has grown through the years. New snippets have made their way into it.

We have shared these quotes in family gatherings, wedding brunches, and lately as conversation starters with grandchildren this summer. They never fail to bring back the smiles!