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365 Reasons to Smile – Day 22
Growing up, my family didn’t watch a lot of television. 
By the time my brother and I were in school, my parents limited us to seven hours of television a week.
Because of that, we had to choose carefully, but we always chose to watch The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights.
In the days before cable television, movie rentals or pay per view, we always looked forward to watching the movies in the comfort of our own home.
My parents would pop popcorn, and we’d settle in to watch an old Kurt Russell movie like The Strongest Man in the World or an even older movie like Fred MacMurray’s The Shaggy Dog.
Times have changed dramatically since the mid 1970’s, but my love for those movies never will.
They always make me smile.
Day 22: The Wonderful World of Disney Day 21: Puppy love
Day 20 Personal Theme Songs Day 19: Summer Clouds
Day 18: Bartholomew Cubbin’s Victory
Day 17: A Royal Birth Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 21
I
f someone were to ask me what is needed to live a happy life, having a dog would be at the top of my list.
Even when I was young, I knew I could never marry a man who didn’t love dogs and consider them important family members.
But that never guaranteed I would have children who love dogs.
Thank goodness they do, and that always makes me smile.
Day 21: Puppy Love
Day 20: Personal Theme Songs Day 19: Summer Clouds
Day 18: Bartholomew Cubbin’s Victory
Day 17: A Royal Birth Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 19
During a camping trip last summer, my daughter and her friends were getting short-tempered and irritated with each other.
Instead of telling them to get along, I told them to lie down on the grass and look up at the sky.
The other girls looked at me like I was crazy, but my daughter knew what to do.
She started describing what shapes she saw in the clouds. The other girls soon caught on, and their 
irritation was replaced with excitement and giggles.
You simply can’t be angry or stressed when you are using your imagination.
And knowing that stress relief trick always makes me smile.
Day 19: Summer Clouds
Day 18: Bartholomew Cubbin’s Victory
Day 17: A Royal Birth Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 18
I discovered the genius of Dr. Seuss before I knew he was the author of such books as The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who and Green Eggs and Ham.
The first time I opened the pages of The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, I fell in love with the story and its lesson.
Bartholomew Cubbins was poor, but he did his best to follow the law, which required him to take off his hat when in the presence of the king.
Unfortunately for Bartholomew, every time he removed one hat, another immediately took its place. Then, after removing hundreds of similar hats, each new hat started becoming more extravagant than the previous.
After Bartholomew was threatened with death for his inability to go hatless, he finally removed the last hat, which was decorated with gold and jewels.
The king was so impressed that he not only granted Bartholomew a reprieve for wearing a hat in his presence, but he also purchased the last hat for himself.
Even as a child, I got the message: there will always be people who abuse their power in order to make themselves feel important. Often, we are forced to comply to protect ourselves. But eventually, if we persevere and do the right thing, we will prevail while those who worship power continue to struggle with their own weaknesses.
That lesson always makes me smile.
Day 18: Bartholomew Cubbin’s Victory
Day 17: A Royal Birth Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 17
The summer I was 15 was one of the best periods of my life. 
That summer, I was away from my parents for an extended period and made life-long friends and life-long memories.
That’s also the summer that Prince William was born. I remember the speculation about his name. I also remember thinking that Princess Diana was only six years older than me and she was already a mother.
This summer, my son is 15 years old, and I don’t think he’s particularly interested that Prince William is now a father.
But I can’t help but appreciate the synchronicity.
I also can’t help but note how quickly time flies.
But the arrival of a new baby is always the best reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
And that always make me smile.
Day 17: A Royal Birth Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 16
I came home from work on Friday bone-weary tired.
My daughter was in a local theater production this past weekend, which means the previous week was “tech week.”
When I volunteered in community theater, we adults called it “hell week.” And there’s a reason.
The rehearsals go late and tempers run short. I still haven’t caught up on my lost sleep, and even though I love the joy my daughter has for performing, I’ve definitely been off my game.
But when I came home Friday, my son was playing piano. When I left to take the dog for a walk, he was still playing piano.
When I came back from walking the dog, he was practicing his trumpet.
And even though the sound wasn’t exactly pacifying, it definitely made me happy.
Because listening to my son pursue his passion always makes me smile.
Day 16: Creative Kids
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 15
One of the first beauty products I owned was an Avon honeysuckle perfume stick. I’d never before smelled honeysuckle, but the perfume was a gift from Ruby, a family friend whom I absolutely adored. 
Ruby sold Avon, and I loved looking through her lipstick samples and flipping through the small catalogs she always carried with her.
But most of all I loved that perfume because it reminded me of her.
I now live in a neighborhood full of honeysuckle, and one of the main streets is even called Honeysuckle Drive.
A few weeks ago, the air was simply rich with its scent, and I breathed it in as though I were breathing in my childhood.
And I smiled because the scent of honeysuckle always makes me smile.
Day 15: The Scent of Honeysuckle Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 14
I was pregnant with my son, working full-time and completing my master’s degree when the movie In and Out was released. Needless to say, I didn’t have a lot of spare time, but my husband and I went to see it anyway.
And the time spent away from my studies was well worth it.
I still love the movie, and I particularly love the scene when Kevin Kline is trying to prove his masculinity.
That clip always makes me smile.
Day 14: Clip of Kevin Kline Exploring His Masculinity
Day 13: Random Text Messages from My Daughter Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 9: Four-Leaf Clovers Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment Day 4: Jumping in Puddles
Day 3: The Ride Downhill after the Struggle Uphill Day 2: Old Photographs
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 13
I am so fortunate to have the gift of my daughter. She is smart and energetic and enthusiastic and expressive.
Especially expressive.
Like her mother, she shares exactly what’s on her mind.
At almost 12, her topics of discussion range from the characters in the latest book she is reading to her dislike of the dinner menu.
When I’m not with her, she uses text messages to share her opinions. I feel fortunate that she still wants to let me into her psyche, and that always makes me smile.
Day 13: Random Text Messages From My Daughter
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs
Day 10: The Rainier Beer Motorcycle Commercial
Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock
Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment
365 Reasons to Smile – Day 12
Sometimes, the things that make us smile can’t be explained.
Sometimes, certain things just makes us happy.
Round bales of hay do that for me.
They always make me smile.
Day 12: Round Bales of Hay
Day 11: Water Fountains for Dogs
Day 10: The Rainier Beer Television Commercial
Day 8: Great Teachers We Still Remember
Day 7: Finding the missing sock
Day 6: Children’s books that teach life-long lessons
Day 5: The Perfect Photo at the Perfect Moment
Just So You Know 