Innocence

Today's smile-inducer : Innocence. Long eyelashes, cheeky grins and mischievous twinkles in his eyes, it's going to be hard to fall out of love with this little guy. Today was the first time he thanked me not by rote.

How long has it been since having someone 

guide you through the basics of arithmetics made you smile? 

When was the last time you looked up at the vignette 

formed by the leaves of shady trees in the dusk sky and marveled at nature's engineering? 

As we age, we shed bits of our innocence and lose track of the things that truly matter.
Family. Life. Love.

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The art of forgetting

Today's smile-inducer : Remembering to forget. Years ago, a very wise person told me about the choices you make every morning. If you start the day with a conscious effort to see the rainbows after each storm, rainbows you WILL see. 

It'll take some time to erase these thoughts but I'll cling on to the hope that one day this too shall pass. 

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One who speaks fair words feeds you with an empty spoon - Italian proverb 

Love

Today's smile-inducer : Conversation with an 11 year old 

" and do you know what love is then ? " 

" Love .... love is just when you feel it. Cannot be explained "  *goofy grin 

He has no idea how he makes my day. Although there are times when I want to walk out of the room with a scream in my throat and fists in my hair .... 

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Somebody

Today's smile-inducer : This song. The lyrics. The meaning. If perfection could be put into song, it would be this.

Though my views may be wrong, they may even be perverted, 

He'll hear me out, and won't easily be converted, 

To my way of thinking, in fact he'll often disagree, 

But at the end of it all, he will understand me 

Envelope

Today's smile-inducer : Aujourd'hui, c'est le vendredi.

They told her there was no escape from the dreary wheel of routine.
So with a defiant tilt of her chin she murmured
" I'll envelope myself in words, and tucked into a comforting blanket of imagination, I'll drift away on clouds of dreams. "

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Love your shoes

Today's smile-inducer : Flashbacks. I suddenly remembered a past conversation I had with The Boy whilst I getting ready for dinner one day. 

" Which shoe do you think looks best ? " 

" The one that doesn't hurt your feet. "

=')

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Secure

We live in a world 

where the things that used to make sense 

no longer apply

It is a world

that feeds fear instead of love 

kindles anger instead of goodwill 

It is a world 

with a hundred dark shades of grey

and glimpses of white get swallowed into obscurity 

It is a world 

where girls carry pepper sprays and personal alarms 

instead of light hearted steps and clear minds 

It is a world 

where children are expected to act adult

and adults yearn for lost childhoods 

A world 

with blurred spectrums 

and colored lenses 

A world 

where faith gets lost 

but in it all hope, hope continues to shine

Today's smile-inducer : Ploughing through the bad days, because they make the good days better. 

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Good things

Today's smile-inducer : This song came on in the middle of editing the-never-ending-report. Guess I really needed it :)

Absence is to love as wind is to fire. It blows out the small, but kindles the great  -  Roger de Bussy-Rabutin

Apologize

Today's smile-inducer : If you love something, go get it. I'm blessed to be surrounded by people who constantly show me what a powerful fuel enthusiasm can be. It's a good feeling knowing you did the right thing because at the end of the day you answer only to yourself and God. 

There is nothing wrong with loving the crap out of everything. Negative people find their walls. So never apologize for your enthusiasm. Never. Ever. Never. 

- Ryan Adams 

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That which we call a rose ..

Today's smile-inducer : I often get cute texts from La Maman. Today was no exception when I woke up to an excited " I just found your name mentioned in Luke 8:3 ! I named you aptly. God will bless those who serve Him ! " ... Erm, gee mum. Love the enthusiasm ! I've only had this name for like ... 24 years after all ...   

I kid. Mes parents sont très mignons !  

Starlight

The stars, 

Oh how they twinkle and tease

Little winks in beds of velvet nights

Distant galaxies

Faraway unknowns

your heart skips two beats 

One for feeling special 

another ; humbled 

The stars, 

Oh how they seduce and enthrall .... 

Today's smile-inducer : Coming in contact with nature. There is nothing more rewarding than touching nature and watching it smile back at you. If only one could bottle the stars and fall asleep watching them twinkle and wink. 

Today's smile-inducer : 

" I've been told that people in the army
do more by 7:00 am
than I do
in an entire day
but if I wake
at 6:59 am
and turn to you
to trace the outline of your lips
with mine
I would have done enough
and killed no one
in the process ... "

- Shane Koyczan

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Far from the madding crowd

Today's smile-inducer : Being different in a crowd. You know how sometimes you stand in a crowd, and you get swamped, thereby losing the ability to choose your own direction because of the power the crowd exerts on you ? Try as you may, there's an intangible force that seems to want to govern your every step. It's hard to break away from that, but when you do ... boy does it feel good. You just need to want something badly enough to go against the power of the crowd =) 

It's always easier to take the path of least resistance, but you only get the best views once you've scaled the top of the mountain. 

The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has even been before - Einstein

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Pick your battles

A hot head, rash decisions and a laser tongue will buy a girl nothing but pitfalls and deep dens. There are so many things that could potentially prick me that the best piece of advice I've heard over the years still remains " Pick your battles. You can't fight them all and not burn out " 

Today's smile-inducer : The clarity of thought that comes with being able to tell the difference between what's worth fighting for and what's made for the dumpsters. 

Just sayin'  

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One of those days

It's one of those days when try as you may, it's hard to keep your game face on and look at the bright side of things. Incidentally, this calls for more reason to look for something to be happy with. 

Today's smile-inducer : Conversations 

le père : Guess what I'm doing ? Reading reviews on both the SIII and the Note. 

la fille : Woohoo. I'd like a full report on your findings soon, minion. :p 

Family hierarchy, what hierarchy ? 

I'm blessed. Spoilt, but blessed. =)

A dad is a son's first hero and a daughter's first love. 

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Humility

Today's smile-inducer : This would come out sounding like an oxymoron, but there is pride to be found in humility. Today's sermon at church has been inspiring, to say the least. Some may call bible stories, stories, or fairy tales. Call them what you may, it can't be denied that these are rich tales of victory against strife, circumstances, and difficulties. The one thing in common is that these biblical figures have never stopped believing, and kept through to what defines them even in the face of adversity. They've remained humble through greatness, and through their humility, touched the lives of many. It is indeed possible to always always keep a positive attitude and hold your head up high in difficult times because of what resides WITHIN you. 

" Personality may be inherited, but character is developed " 

Alone time

Today's smile-inducer : Time alone. Perhaps it's just me, but there are days when I crave for non-human company. These are the days when the world around you seems to buzz with activity, and you get this sense that you're viewing everything from a third person's perspective because you're so detached from it all. Today was one of those days, and I'm blessed with the luxury of cocooning up in my room with a good book, a bunch of grapes and a bowl of nuts. Sometimes spending time alone is heavenly. Yes, I'm a narcissistic introvert. 

Hope your weekend's going on swimmingly !  

I've been trying to introduce her to the love of words, but Daisy Moo seems to only have her eye on food, sweet daughter of mine. Just you and me, baby :) 

Stars and poems

Today's smile-inducer : As cheesy as this is going to come out sounding, there's nothing more romantic than a string of words crafted together in the hands of a love-tipped tongue. Shakespeare made my day.

" Doubt thou the stars are fire 

Doubt thou the sun doth move 

Doubt truth be a liar, 

But never doubt I love. " 

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Enlightenment

Today's smile-inducer : You know that feeling when the imaginary light bulb above your head lights up  and you go " now why didn't I ever think of it that way ? " Priceless. 

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Principles

Today's smile-inducer : Principles. They're there for a reason. Stick to them and you'll find the intangible rewards that are fulfilling and satisfying. Break them, and you'll find yourself veering further and further away from the things that make up who you are until you morph into a being you no longer want to be acquainted with. There are so many lessons to learn in adversity, I'm glad I get to savour each one. 

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Fighter

Today's smile-inducer : The will to pick yourself up regardless of how many times you fall. Positive perspective is always keeping your eye on the horizon, not on the ground.

Commitments

We all have them. They're the things you promised the person in the mirror you'd get done, but somehow other things get in a way and you're tempted to cheat on those promises. 

Today's smile-inducer : Sticking to commitments and surpassing goals. I wanted to start out with 15, so tempted to give in after 10, but I pushed through to 16. Now let's see how well I keep to this. Writing it here's gonna be a black and white reminder to keep holding on even when the tides roll in and the ropes get too slippery to grip  :) 

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In pursuit of happiness

I started this some time back to remind me of the little things we often take for granted until the time comes when they become something we 'had'.  These are the little things that make life beautiful, in spite of the storms that may come by once in a while. 

Today, I'd like to be happy for honesty. There may be lies by omission in honesty, but today I'm glad for centre points. Step by tiny step ...