Reasons to smile…
I’m always looking for a reason to smile. Life just lives better that way (and I figure it will make for more pleasant wrinkles when I’m older).
To that end, I try to build some blessings into each day. Not “trite”, but very ordinary blessings that bring to a boil that elemental joy within: I look for moments in which I can truly appreciate each of my children within their own space. I look for someone who needs something they cannot repay to me. I look for excuses to be in the glorious outdoors and drive with my windows down and the music cranked up. I look for a new adventure, a different perspective, a fresh gratitude. I drink chocolate milk…
If you’ve read even a paragraph from one of my blogs, my passion for travel and discovery is obvious. It sparks joy as it nudges my curiosity. It makes me smile. A lot. I wish I could “just go” all the time; maybe someday when my beloved responsibilities have more elastic needs… But, in the meantime, I am abundantly grateful for the glimpses I get through far-away friends I may never meet. I follow their adventures, geographic and emotional, and smile at our shared connections.
One of my favorites is Rino whose adventures with biking and life in general are updated regularly in his blogNEW “A Pinoy Biker’s Philippine Rural Adventures”. I always get a lift from his posts, and I guess he likes me too! He gave me the “You Make Me Smile” award (which is hardly fair because I can’t give it to him now!).
Who else makes me smile?
Jungl: His “Photos from Northern Norway” will elevate your pulse rate. His stunning photos have put Norway on my destination list.
Delmer: Always witty; at times, sardonic and self-deprecating, Delmer’s blogNEW appropriately titled “What’s a Delmer Look Like?” is … gosh, I’ve written/deleted/written some more/deleted again… I’ll settle on the fact that his blogNEW is hard to describe but quite entertaining. It’s his life and then some (check out his trip to England)…
Sue: I just found “Sue’s Daily Photography” a couple of weeks ago. I’ll be fighting some twinges of jealousy when winter settles in up here (she lives in Key West), but I can always appreciate quality photography.
Santa: Who says that “Every Day Should Be Christmas” … I agree! State of mind; state of heart…
Mr. Fong: His “Eat Your Maths” site shares his engaging passion for all things mathematical and always makes me grin as I work the numbers…
Grab the badge and pass it on, guys! With a smile…
