The Smile that Shines Through Tears

I committed this poem to memory when I was going through a particularly hard time in life and it has stayed with me for almost 30 years. It has been a source of strength, encouraging a positive perspective on those days when everything seems to go wrong. I had one of those mornings several years ago. My younger sister had been rushed to the hospital the day before with the symptoms of an aneurism, and the situation felt dire. This particular morning, she was scheduled for a very important pro...