Smiles

I recently returned from my trip to Nicaragua where I spent nine days on a mission with my church.  WOW!  What an experience.  While I really felt as though I was going to encounter a lot of sadness because of the conditions that they live in there, I actually found the opposite.  The people that we met, those we knew and those we didn't know, are so incredibly happy.  They are not sad for the things that they do not have in life, they are appreciative of those things that they do have, however small.  For them, the small things are big.  It was my first realization that there was too much crap in my own life.

The thing that struck me most was the smiles that the children have.  I brought tons of lollipops- or bon-bons they're called in Nicaragua.  When I encountered children I presented them with a bon-bon.  Of course I asked the parents first, they always seemed shocked that I was asking, but here in the states you don't dare present a child with candy without asking their parents first.  My own kids, I could care less, they're children and we brush their teeth, but someone elses kids- always ask the mom.

They cherished those bon-bons.  Some didn't even know how to open them, I wonder if those children ever had a bon-bon before.  Others knew just what to do, but they savored it for forever.

The smiles that the children showed us were like no smiles I've ever seen, except maybe on my daughter.  She has a great smile.  Her whole face smiles.  But the smiles on these children were smiles of love, laughter, hope and happiness.

Her smile may not be in her mouth, but her smile is in her eyes.  Look at those eyes. Aren't they amazing!   WOW!

SUPERWOMAN!  My smile after 

This was my zip-lining trip.  the last thing we did before we left for home.  It was like being reborn again.  flying across the lake it like a bird.  I took a deep breath and told myself this was the new beginning. The new beginning of worrying less, taking deeper breaths, and smiling a whole lot more.  It's time to appreciate what we have.  It's time to love life a little more.