Posts Tagged ‘Count Your Blessings’
On this day my Mother-in-law dropped by again. She was very nice and friendly towards me – about the most ever! I am convinced that this experiment has had a very big effect on her. It also makes me realize how the feeling of being excluded reinforced her own mopey behavior, thus leading to more exclusion. (The vicious cycle).
I noticed even more of a “thawing” in my oldest teen. Almost a smile back!
We had car problems today, which is generally not something you smile about. (At least I haven’t in the past). But on the same note, it is not something one should fret too much about. In the past I would have sulked a bit on this issue but I think this experiment has given me a different outlook. I came to the realization that we are very blessed in that we can afford to have this old (1999) vehicle fixed or even replaced – and that is something to smile about. I ended up charging up the battery and then disconnecting it so the mysterious dome light that comes on by itself would not drain it – this allowed my wife to use it the next morning to make her appointments.
My youngest daughter has been returning very big smiles as of late. This experiment seems to be having a very positive effect on her. Less getting upset I notice. Good to see.
This day I interacted with friends at church again. I put on the smiles for those I spoke with before service. The reactions were positive, but I think they would have been positive even without the extra grins. Otherwise, as we sang our songs at the beginning of service, I found myself rejoicing in how blessed I am in so many ways – So I had on a smile, but I was not smiling at anyone in particular.
Back at home I continued with the smiles. My youngest son always smiles back I noticed. And my middle son, always up for a good joke, usually smiles back. And I think I might even be starting to get through to my oldest teen – that is going to take some work. . . check back at about day 29 or so!
My oldest daughter, age 10, cleaned up the house by herself (without being asked) while my wife was away visiting a friend. That made my wife smile when she got home.
This day certainly started off in an un-smiley way. Teenager trouble in the morning. That can wipe the smile off anyone’s face if they are a parent.
But, once at work, I found it easy to smile. Smiled at and with coworkers with the usual positive reactions. And got in some good ones with coworkers I barely know. A few seemed a little surprised I think – but it was fun. What was sort of eventful about this day was that I came to this realization:
Smile as much as you can, whenever you can. Cause there will be periods of your life where you just can’t smile.
And with that realization, I came to regard the ability to smile as a precious commodity. In some circles this would be interpreted as Count Your Blessings.
