This I Believe: Just Keep Smiling
I believe that you should just keep smiling. Those three words are more powerful to me than most. “Just keep smiling” is one of the best pieces of advice my Mom-Mom gave me. She was my best friend, despite the age difference. I could go to her for anything and leave feeling so much better. Our conversations changed over the years because she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when I was a lot younger. Weirdly enough, that was when our bond was strengthened the most.
I feel like she is a part of me. Through the years with the awful disease she lost her memory at a very fast pace. I never knew what role I would be playing each day I walked into her room. All I knew was that if I had a smile on my face, it made the experience much better. One day when my mom and I were visiting, my mom was putting away my Mom-Mom’s clothes and rambling on about something. As I sat on the bed, my Mom-Mom rolled her eyes. She grabbed my hand and looked at me as if she were completely lucid and said, “You just gotta keep smiling.”
When she stopped being able to communicate verbally, I didn’t grow hopeless that my best friend couldn't get her message across. I could tell through her eyes what she wanted to say, and a smile confirmed everything.
So when my Mom-Mom passed away two years ago, I was in disbelief. I went into shock because my best friend was gone, but she was also in a better place now.
This past summer my family was put in an awful situation. My brother was in a car accident and was in a medically induced coma for weeks. He suffered from traumatic brain injury and he is still working hard to try and get back to where he was before the accident. I was broken, but held together with a smile. Doctors and nurses all said that he should have died, but I believe my angels in the sky were with him every step of the way.
I believe you should just keep smiling. A smile can be a kind greeting. A smile can be a rush of happiness. A smile is so much more than a curved line upon your face. For me, a smile is hope, everlasting friendship, and a belief that something good can always come out of something bad.
I feel like she is a part of me. Through the years with the awful disease she lost her memory at a very fast pace. I never knew what role I would be playing each day I walked into her room. All I knew was that if I had a smile on my face, it made the experience much better. One day when my mom and I were visiting, my mom was putting away my Mom-Mom’s clothes and rambling on about something. As I sat on the bed, my Mom-Mom rolled her eyes. She grabbed my hand and looked at me as if she were completely lucid and said, “You just gotta keep smiling.”
When she stopped being able to communicate verbally, I didn’t grow hopeless that my best friend couldn't get her message across. I could tell through her eyes what she wanted to say, and a smile confirmed everything.
So when my Mom-Mom passed away two years ago, I was in disbelief. I went into shock because my best friend was gone, but she was also in a better place now.
This past summer my family was put in an awful situation. My brother was in a car accident and was in a medically induced coma for weeks. He suffered from traumatic brain injury and he is still working hard to try and get back to where he was before the accident. I was broken, but held together with a smile. Doctors and nurses all said that he should have died, but I believe my angels in the sky were with him every step of the way.
I believe you should just keep smiling. A smile can be a kind greeting. A smile can be a rush of happiness. A smile is so much more than a curved line upon your face. For me, a smile is hope, everlasting friendship, and a belief that something good can always come out of something bad.