Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

"Do it again. Play it again. Sing it again. Read it again. Write it again. Sketch it again. Rehearse it again. Run it again. Try it"

"To laugh continually is to never laugh at all. For it takes the periodic sound of sorrow from which to distinguish the sound of joy."

"Conundrum:  A fun word to repeat over and over again when no one's listening. Actual meaning is as puzzling as the need to chant the word."

"Wanting help, I reached out to serve. Seeking happiness, I smiled and offered comfort. Yearning for love, I showed love. And now I understand. My life was never about me, it was always about you."

"Happiness doesn't always come in pink. Learn to appreciate the rainbow."

"I love the magic of a hot bath, how time pauses and every grievance melts away."

"Mother nature changes her looks for the same reason any woman changes her looks—to be noticed."

"Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever."

"Love tickles parts of you that, prior to its influence, you didn't even know could feel."

"People love super heroes.  It's true we're  impressed by their bravery and fortitude, their supernatural gifts and physical brawn.  But the fact is, villains possess these same qualities.  So why our admiration for the hero and not the nemesis?  Because of virtue.   A super hero gives everything to defend what's good and right without seeking praise or reward.  Think about it.  All the great heroes give without taking, help without grumbling, sacrifice without asking recompense.  A super hero's real strength, what we absolutely fall in love with, is his finer virtue."

"A new star, the Christ child, God's gift to mankind; these are what Christmas is made of."

"When you open your mouth, listeners are offended.  When you close your mouth, the expectant are offended.  If a person seeks misdoing from you they will find it regardless of whether or not you deliver. "

"One of the most effective things you will ever do in life, whether you care to or not, is set an example."

"Happiness depends upon two things—pleasing God, and then pleasing yourself."

"Marriage is a million piece puzzle, a pristine and exciting pursuit at the beginning that gradually becomes a daunting task, usually more challenging than anticipated.   It is only those truly committed to solving that puzzle who witness in the end the miraculous outcome of every tiny piece laid out and pressed together in an inspiring and envious creation—a treasure only time, resoluteness, and perseverance could create. "

"What is the spirit of Christmas, you ask?  Let me give you the answer in a true story... On a cold day in December, feeling especially warm in my heart for no other reason than it was the holiday season, I walked through the store sporting a big grin on my face.  Though most people were far too busy going about their business to notice me, one elderly gentleman in a wheelchair brought his eyes up to meet mine as we neared each other traveling opposite directions.  He slowed in passing just long enough to speak to me."Now that's a Christmas smile if I ever saw one," he said. My lips stretched to their limit in response, and I thanked him for the compliment.  Then we went our separate ways. But, as I thought about the man and how sweetly he'd touched me, I realized something simply wonderful!  In that brief, passing interaction we'd exchanged heartfelt gifts!And that, my friend, is the spirit of Christ~mas. "

"A little porch light from a distant farmhouse dimmed, feeling alone and unneeded until his smallest spark of illumination snuffed out entirely. The night fell as dark as it was quiet. Meanwhile, every secret eye within the vicinity―from insect to animal to human wanderer―stopped to blink, suddenly blinded. Their guiding light had vanished, extinguishing hope in the hearts of many. That little light had mattered, but he knew it not."

"Trust in the silent doers. It is far more difficult to put your dreams into action than into flowery words."

"Time is an imp—a pesky, little, hellish troll that hastens the clock when I smile but then delays the passing of minutes when I frown."

"Comparisons are like rigid fingers—eager to point at a subject but unwilling to grasp it."