In October 2011 my wife and I, along with family and friends, celebrated the marriage of our oldest child to a wonderful young woman, Jessica Arnold. In January of 2013 my wife and I, along with family and friends mourned the death and celebrated the life of this young woman. To be close to share with another family the loss of their daughter and to share in the sorrow of our son’s loss is to be blessed for knowing another depth of the mystery of love. This experience in my life has only resolved my belief that there are really only two responses in life that are worth having and they were spoken by Dag Hammarskjold, second United-Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize recipient a number of years ago, when he said “for all that has been- thanks and for all that shall be- yes.” In these words echo trust, surrender, faith, hope and love. I ask myself, “What else should my response to life be for the blessings that have come to me in my life and for the blessing that is my life?” “What else should my response be when my life began with a primal ‘yes’?”

It seems to be that the only right response to our lives, yours and mine, is one of giving thanks for having been given the blessing of being alive and for being able to share blessings with others. To really share a blessing with whomever or whatever is to draw from the truest expression of oneself which is kindness, goodness, and love. To mindfully share a ‘heart smile’ gives blessing to the life around us and we become once again reminded within our self that we are indeed connected with others. A simple smile opens our heart to welcome the world and be present to the joys and the sufferings of others.

So, this simple phrase “smile on” is my offering to the world to not only smile often, but to wholeheartedly ‘smile on’ those mirrors in our lives that awaken us to love; to our goodness; to the love that is all around us; to what is real. For me, to ‘smile on’ Jessica, all my loved ones, and all that is around me is to say ‘thanks’ for being blessed and to say ‘yes’ in continuing to strive to offer blessings to others and the world.

Let your unique smile be your signature ‘thanks’ for all that is and ‘yes’ for all that will be!

Smile On with Love