Everyone smiles in the same language. - Author Unknown

I haven't updated in a while and I don't have an excuse for that. I will try to make up for that.

My heart smiled today when I found out that I was accepted to be a Student Team Leader for a volunteer trip to New Orleans!

Receiving a text message from someone I hadn't heard from in a while and had thought had forgotten me also made my heart smile.

I will try to remember to update this again tomorrow.

Happiness is a form of courage. - Holbrook Jackson

Monday

Seeing my cat eating on her own and moving around a lot more made my heart smile because I realized she'll be fine after all.

Yesterday

Finishing everything I wanted to get done early made my heart smile (and made me feel way less stressed out).

Today

Getting my paper done! I wasn't sure if I would finish my paper tonight because I'm feeling really distracted and a little sick, but with a little bit of a push, I completed my paper with a smiling heart.

A peaceful life does not mean a life free of toil and suffering, rather it means living without being swayed no matter what happens...

... This is a state of true peace and happiness. - Unknown

I've been having a very bad weekend. My cat is very sick and the vet isn't entirely sure what is wrong. She has jaundice, and they're trying to determine what caused this. We're not sure how much longer we have with her, and of course, this makes me very sad.

But, with that being said, it's during times of struggles that I think it's most important for us to remember what we do have to be thankful for and especially what can still manage to bring a smile to our hearts.

Thursday

Having five toddlers jump all over me, while I pretend that they were knocking me down. There cheers of, "This is so funny!" and the huge smiles on their faces made my heart smile (and my body very sore the next day!).

Friday

Waking up to Gump sleeping right next to me in bed. Gump is not very cuddly and never sleeps in my bed, so to wake up and for him to be right next to my face, definitely made my heart smile.

When we realized that something was wrong with Forest, we weren't sure how we would get her to the vet, and didn't want to wait till the next day when mom could drive us. So we called our next door neighbour to see if she would give us a lift there. Having her go out of her way for my sister, Forest, and me, made me really appreciative of the people I have in my life. It made my heart smile to know that there was someone there for us during our time of need.

Saturday

Today is only half way over, so maybe I'll think of something better then. But for now, knowing that the vets are doing everything they can to find out what is wrong with Forest and squeezing us in like they are makes my heart smile.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

That quote is by Buddha.

Tuesday

Watching a two year old attempt the worm will always make my heart smile!

Wednesday

Being able to say that I finally finished writing an essay made my heart smile.

Thursday

After a long day filled with small things going wrong, it made my heart smile to have a nice conversation with one of my professors after class.

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. -Seneca

Yesterday

Finding out that I have been accepted to volunteer in Swaziland in May made my heart smile so much it almost exploded!

Today

I opened my email today and received a nice surprise email from a friend from my summer job after he heard that I was accepted for Swaziland:

Good for you Michelle you will be very good at what ever you do there. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity enjoy it and have a great time but remember to get all your school work done

It made my heart smile to not only receive the email, but also to read the ending about my school work.

To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment than almost anything else in the world. - Charles Dudley Warner

A couple of days ago I was having problems with my wireless connection. I know that it sometimes help if you disconnect and then reconnect your computer. Well, apparently I didn't disconnect, but disabled. I hadn't realized that that's what I did, but did know that my wireless was no longer working. So today I made the trip up to the computer store and had a technician look at. When he told me he knew what was wrong and that it would take three seconds to fix it, my heart smiled!

Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible. -St. Augustine

Yesterday

My friend is going to France for eight months, and it was beginning to look like I wouldn't get to see her again before she leaves. However, yesterday after work I got a text message from her saying that she would be around. Luckily, we got together, and my heart smiled while I was enjoying a great lunch with her.

Also, my heart smiled when I successfully taught two two year olds how to hold a football, throw it straight down, and yell "TOUCH DOWN!", which they do so well now.

Today

It was the first tutorial for one of my classes. Because part of our grade is based on participation, the TA wanted to learn our names, so he had us go around the room and say something interesting about ourselves. Well, when it got to me, I couldn't think of anything interesting, so I said that I have two cats named Forest and Gump. It made my heart smile when the rest of the room laughed.

Start every day with a smile and get it over with. - W.C. Fields

I'm going to keep it nice and short. I didn't get as much time as I would've liked, but my heart smiled today when I got to see someone that I think I really like.

Happiness is never stopping to think if you are. - Palmer Sondreal

It's been a busy little while with work and school starting back up, so I haven't really thought too much about the blog. However, my heart smiled several times today, so I feel the need to post about them!

I work part time as a teacher's assistant at a child care centre during the school year. It's a fun job, but can be very challenging. Today, as I was leaving, one of the toddlers continued to yell "Bye" to me, even after I had turned the corner and was out of his site. It made my heart smile hearing his shouts at me as I left.

One of my classes is in a terrible room. It's too small for all of us to fit, the chairs are uncomfortable, and it's incredibly hot. The professor recognizes this, and is working on finding us another room. However, since we're still in the same room and the weather was rather amazing today, he decided to take us outside. The topic of the course (genocide) is certainly not a positive topic, but my heart smiled while I was sitting underneath a tree and listening to my professor talk.

I'm taking a younger year course because I really like the professor who is teaching it. Today was the first day of that class, and as I walked into the room, the professor gave me a huge smile and very obviously recognized me. We talked for a bit before class started, and she said that she was very glad she had me again and that I chose to take her course. My heart was smiling when I heard her say this, especially since I have a huge amount of respect for her (and had that respect for her before she said that).

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections. - Unknown

Yesterday

The tough part about summer vacations is being away from your friends. It's even tougher when your friends start to leave school, and even the country. However, yesterday I spent the day with a good friend who I haven't seen since June and who will soon be leaving from France. It certainly made my heart smile to see her again (and to drink an amazing Frozen Hot Chocolate with her!)

Today

I'm having a bit of an "off day." We all have them every once and while, and I think the most important part is to just not let it define us or to get stuck in them. So, with that being said, it made my heart smile lying in bed reading all day knowing that I could spend my "off day" being lazy.

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today was the last day of work and we were allowed to leave early! Both things definitely made my heart smile.

However, something else really made my heart smile. Sometimes at work, I kind of feel a bit invisible to the other full time staff members. Today, though, the complete opposite happened. One full time employee really made a point of letting me know how important I was around work and how I'll be missed. It's always nice to know when you're appreciated, and is a sure fire way of putting a smile on my heart!

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. - Guillaume Apollinaire

Summer work is coming to an end and school is closing in! I don't know how I feel about school starting up this year (I often feel relatively indifferent towards it). I'll probably miss my summer job, especially since I probably won't be able to return next year, but I am looking forward to the changes in my life that are coming up.

But to get to the point of this. What has made my heart smile today?

Playing with my cat outside. He's a playful cat, but it's not always easy to play with him. However, today, he was hiding in a bush and would pounce out every time I walked by. It made my heart smile walking back and forth while he jumped out at me!

Post #6

I realize I have been gone for a while. I haven't been very good and need to make this a part of my routine.

So, a quick update on things that have made my heart smile since the last post till now:
My birthday
Bon Jovi
Miss Saigon
Rain
Some of the best fish and chips ever
And many, many more things.

Now I'll do Friday, Saturday, and so far today.

Friday
Buying three new books. I didn't need any of them, but three books for $10 is an unbelievable price! I bought David Copperfield, Robinson Crusoe, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Three books I've always wanted to read, a great price for them all, and of course, a smiling heart to top it off.

Saturday
Buying three more new books for $2! I thought that a used book store around the corner from my house had closed down, so I decided I needed to check it out. Thankfully they hadn't closed, but just moved into the spot next door. So now, I'm the proud new owner of all the short stories by Mark Twain, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Sherlock Holmes. My heart is smiling just thinking about starting to read them!

Sunday (Today)
Well, the day is not yet over, and I'm not doing too much due to the fact that I can't eat anything today (just clear liquids). However, there are still opportunities for smiling heart moments! Today was my cousin's baby shower, and although I wasn't there, I sent a present along with my mom and sister and they said that the gift went over very well! It makes my heart smile to give people things, and it makes my heart smile even bigger when I hear that they like it!

Post #5

Well today is certainly a hot day! I wasn't expecting the heat, but chose to make the best of it.

My heart was smiling many times today, even if I wasn't outwardly smiling. Camp began today, which is always a good time for me. On top of that, I have a great group for the week! My heart smiled when I won the bet predicting which time the first camper would show up, and again when another counselor said how well behaved my group is!

I bought two new CDs about a week and a half ago on the internet. I was beginning to worry that they would never show, but my heart smiled when I opened my mailbox today and they were both just waiting to be opened and played!

Post #4

So I've been away at the cottage the last couple of days, making me unable to update. Luckily, although I wish this wasn't the case, no one reads this, so no one missed my updates! Anyway, I will write about all of my smiling heart moments from Wednesday until today.

Wednesday

It's always a happy moment when you can leave work early! Due to a big event at work on Wednesday, we weren't given our hour lunch break. In order to make that up to us, we were sent home an hour early! I know my heart was smiling when I walked through my front door earlier than normal.

Wednesday evening, shortly after my mom came home from work, we packed the car and headed up to the cottage. My heart smiled as we pulled out of the driveway and again when we pulled up to the cottage.

Thursday

I wasn't always proud to be a Canadian. An attitude I've found to be rather prominent among high school students is to look down on Canada and view the country as USA's little sibling. I've since started to disagree, and so it made my heart smile on July 1st, Canada Day. We're a great country with lots to be proud of, and still lots of work to get done!

There are certain traditions that my family and I have when we're up at the cottage. One of those traditions is to get ice cream at a specific ice cream shop. And so, with great joy and a smiling heart, on Thursday we stopped for some of that ice cream, and it was just as good as I remember it!

Napping. I'm not a huge napper. If I nap during the day, I can't sleep at night, and so I've learned to avoid them. However, when you're up at the cottage, it doesn't matter what time you go to bed or what time you wake up the next day. While reading a book, I happened to fall asleep. It was with a smiling heart that I woke up from my nap, feeling totally refreshed and ready to do some more relaxing around the cottage.

Friday

It's a pretty rare occasion when you can wake up on work day morning, look at the clock, and realize that you should've already been at work, but not worry. Occasions like that always bring a smile to my heart (and a little bit of guilt since my coworkers were at work... but only a little bit... and I quickly got over it).

Speaking of cottage life traditions, there's the always important campfire with roasted marshmellows. That great, gooey, and burnt taste of marshmellows, yum yum yum! Each bite of marshmellow brought a big, gooey smile to my heart.

Saturday

There's a restaurant that we always eat at when we're up at the cottage. It looks out on the lake, and the food is delicious! We made our way there on Saturday for lunch. Although the restaurant changed hands, their fish and chips still brought a smile to my heart!

As I posted earlier, starting a new book is always smiling heart worthy. Well it was Saturday morning that I finished St. Urbain's Horseman, and Saturday that I started The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Of course, I was sad to finish one great book, but my heart was smiling when I started another.

Sunday

As for today, my heart was smiling when we headed home. For although it is always nice to go away, it's always nice to go back home. After a couple of hours in the car driving through traffic, it was with a smiling heart that we drove into the drive way, and when we saw our beautiful cats!

Post #3

Today I was feeling much better, which means my heart had more opportunities to smile!

Yesterday, while on the bus, there was a lady with some flowers. She was standing, and I was sitting, so I offered to hold her flowers for her (I would've offered her my entire seat, but I really wasn't feeling well). Today, on my way to work, I saw her on the bus and she smiled and said hello! I know that's not necessarily a "big" thing, but my heart most definitely smiled. I love it when people I don't really know, but kind of know from seeing them, recognize me and say hello. I think it helps to make the world that little bit more friendlier, and can definitely turn a bad day into a happy day. Plus, it's a great way to make friends! I don't know if she'll be on my bus again, but I certainly hope she will be.

Today was the last day of school for most elementary schools in my area. On my way home from work, there was a little boy on my bus with a graduation cap on. He had just graduated from senior kindergarten. It made my heart smile to think of all the little kids running around who were excited that next year they'll be able to start grade one. They probably feel all grown up! I remember that feeling, and can't wait till I have a graduation cap of my own next year (although it will mean that I actually am all grown up, and that's all kinds of scary).

While coaching soccer today, one of the girls on the team was pulling on my bracelet from Milan. She asked where I got it, I told her, and then another girl said, "And you went to Australia!" It made my heart smile to know that she remembered that.

P.S. I might not be able to update till Sunday evening, but I will keep track of smiling heart moments and will do a big post containing them!

Post #2

My heart wasn't smiling too much today. I had a horrible migraine, very little energy, and was feeling rather nauseous. But, of course, that's all turned around! I am now migraine free!

My heart smiled today when I was sitting with my head in my hands and my eyes closed, when a coworker asked if I was feeling alright. It made my heart smile to know that someone noticed I wasn't doing alright and cared enough to ask. Often people just ignore those who aren't feeling 100%, and I think we're too afraid to ask how someone is doing if there's the possibility that they aren't going to reply back in the positive. So, after hours of not feeling well at all, it made my heart smile that someone asked how I was and seemed to actually care.

Post #1

I had several smiling moments today, but I think I'll focus on two.

The first was starting a new book in the morning. There's nothing like cracking open a brand new book and delving into the adventure that awaits! For those who are curious, the book is St. Urbain's Horseman by Mordecai Richler. Thirty-seven pages in, and I'm already excited to see what will happen! It's pretty much a given that my heart will smile every time I pull a book off of my "to be read" shelf and start to read it.

The second was watching Toy Story 3 with my sister. I wasn't sure if we'd be seeing it this weekend. The original plan of going on Friday didn't work out, and this morning was looking rather dreary, we were slow moving, and I was pretty tired. If I had been given the option, I probably would've passed and suggested we wait till another time (which we all know means it will never happen). But, that option was thankfully never suggested by my sister and so we went. And we loved it! It served as a reminder to me that it's a good idea to force myself to do things even when I'm feeling lazy. My heart was smiling while I was out with my sister, eating buttery popcorn, and watching Woody and Buzz in 3D.

Introductions!

I'm new to the blogging world, but figured I'd give it a whirl. So here I go.

I've started this for a couple of reasons. One being that I love life. A lot. Sometimes I love it so much it hurts. But like everyone else, I sometimes look past the little things that happen every single day that makes my heart smile, even if it's only for a brief moment. I've decided that I need to start focusing on those moments, share those moments, and hopefully create more of those moments.

For me, possibly the most important reason why I decided to start this, is because I love writing. When I was younger, I was constantly writing stories in the margins of notebooks while teachers taught lessons, but with the start of university, my creative juices seemed to have left. After writing essays, exams, and even lecture notes, the idea of picking up a pen and paper or sitting at my laptop and typing has started to feel more like a chore than relaxing hobby. Hopefully I can change that.

My goal is to write about something that has made my heart smile during the day. That's all.

A bit about me: My name's Michelle. I'm a Religious Studies and Sociology student in university. My "end goal" for when I finally graduate is to work with at-risk children and/or youth, or homeless people. I try to live my life following two basic principles, one being that I may not be able to change the world single handed, but I will try to live as if I can, and a quote from Kurt Vonnegut: "A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved."