SMILE…it’s a beautiful thing

SMILE: v.  to assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement.  To regard with favor.  To express a smile, a smile approval.

It’s a beautiful thing.  All and/or any of these definitions can count.  I rate smiles to a thing called beauty.  It is, to me.  Think about it; when you’re walking down the street, through the parking lot, walking through a doorway, or just sitting in your yard, and someone smiles and says “good morning”, or even “hello”,  I’ll bet my pocket full money, (not much, by the way), that you WILL smile back, and respond.  Again, that’s a beautiful thing.  What could be more natural, and effortless?  No money, no energy, nothing more than you being you, and everyone loves that, you being you.  That’s beauty.  Smile brings beauty.

In this past month, I experienced so much happiness, with a lot of hugs, kisses, tears and and joy; that was all about smiles, and beauty.  My Dad’s sister, Rosemary, turned 90 this past month, so a get together, (party!), was planned, back in Illinois.  I HAD to go, I mean, I was going back to a family reunion, basically, on a good note for someone turning 90.  My Aunt Rosemary is a spitfire; her husband farmed, and so now the operation is huge, and Aunt Rosemary still goes out in the fields, in season.  How cool is that?  She looks like she’s 65-70!  I actually stayed with her, and boy did I get waited on, like a little boy, and I loved it!  Just staying with her brought back SO many memories, and we spoke of them.  I don’t think I ever wasn’t smiling, but I wasn’t the only one.  Everyone was smiling, and for me, there were a  lot of people that I hadn’t seen in years.  It was one of those situations that my cousins and I would talk about this event, this weekend, this get together,  and we all wish it could go one for a couple of weeks.  It was really that nice, and maybe some day that couple of weeks might happen.  It boils down to beauty, with ALL of our raw emotions.  The reason that I’m speaking of this, is that I was just being me.  Everyone knew that I had my head cut into, 2 times, but did that make a difference with all of the kidding, and jokes that were going on?  No way, at least not in this group.  Guess what, though; I wasn’t the only one with a concern that’s in the life-threatening situation. In fact, there were quite a few of us . The beauty of this is, this is my definition of beauty, what’s inside, what’s in the heart.  With some of my cousins, we spoke of  heart situations, liver, multiple sclerosis, etc…but we all had heart, we all had the same insides, forget the physical change.  I really think that the people that you really love, has had some suffering, but that is the beauty of it.  We’re committed to continue this life, as much as we can, in whatever way we can. I think that the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known loss, and have found their back up, with commitment. These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion.  Beautiful people do not just happen.  They work it, with me, with all of us, because we are all family.  That’s beauty, and good for them, for us!

The next part of this blog, is that my parents came down to visit this past week.  Great week.  Pretty much everything was about relaxing.  I’ve lived here in L.A. for over 30 years, (WOW!), so we’ve seen so much events, and so much touring around the city, through the years, now I don’t have to be the entertainment director.  We hang out, go to lunch, maybe a glass of wine, and call it a night.  It really results in a nice conversation, and that’s just fun.  First of all, I KNOW how blessed I am right now, with both of my parents still in my life, them still able to drive here, (300 miles), and still able to enjoy where I live.  Sure, as age creeps up on them, (80 and 81), they are in good spirits, and guess what?  Things that I tell people what NOT to do, eating wise, they do.  I tell them to go ahead and continue on.  At that age, it seems to help them in their own ways!  I love that!  Keep on truckin’, you only live once, so when you hit that age, do what you want to do!  In my eyes, this is beauty.  They have had losses, sufferings, and defeats; but look at them now.  It’s all about your commitment to life, family, and love; and boy do they love their family!  In our teens, as I suppose most teenagers are, it was always, “quit saying that in front of my friends”, or “I’ll walk to school from here, this last block”.  If we only knew then…..It’s all about living in the NOW; I realize now, that all of our lives, (now),  are going to go on to our future lives.  That’s why NOW is so important to me, that all of us should embrace what we have now, and acknowledge those events.  Why not;  I could tell you right now, when things happened to me, tomorrow might not have come, so enjoy!  This is what I mean when I say beauty, it comes from internal; from me, to you, to all of us.

You knew that I wouldn’t let you go with that story alone!  How about that story on your fitness?  Changes, questions, concerns?  Ask and you shall receive!  We’ll straighten you out, because of your commitment, and your heart, and your beauty.! This is what I’ll guarantee;  you tell me who wrote the song in the title of this blog, and I’ll give you a call, and talk about your heart, and beauty!  Deal????

Please, please, please, ENJOY!  SMILE!  AND RUB THAT SWEET OL’ HEART…..