INTRODUCING...SMILES!

My sister in law, the sweet Lori. What a smile!

The last foster home was a dilly! When we had first arrived there, the lady told me that God had not seen fit to bless her with a child; both Bird and I were soon to find out why. After a few months of her tyranny, we started fighting back – as well as children can – and the problems escalated. When the police became involved, my mom made a momentous decision. She would dump the one boyfriend she had been seeing for years and, I fear, loved deeply, and marry the second. The former wanted nothing to do with her children; the latter would welcome us with open arms.

He and mom showed up one day and took us out of there. The man (we soon were calling him Dad) made us an ‘insta-family’, and within a couple of years, even added a baby brother. We nicknamed the little dude Pody.

The marriage couldn’t work, of course, but strong bonds were created between Dad and us. Even after they split and he left, taking our baby half-brother with him, we kept in touch. And the reason I’m telling you all this is to introduce my little brother, Pody, who has 3 of his own kids now, and his sweet wife, Lori. They live in New Brunswick.

Lori is a pearl from Newfoundland. She is one of the first persons I read on Facebook each day just because she is so upbeat and positive…and funny and, of course, SMILEY!! I think her post this morning on FB can explain it better than I ever could. Here you go:

Before leaving work Friday afternoon, I went in to clean the washrooms. A lady with a little boy walked over as I was going in and asked if we had a change station. I said yes and that I would sanitize it for her first. As I was cleaning she told me that her son hates getting changed on these stations. The little fella was about 14 months old. When I finished she brought him in and I started cleaning the mirror and sink. Then I heard him. The poor little guy started screaming at the top of his lungs. Thinking customers outside may be able to hear him, I started singing hoping it would calm him down.......'The itsy bitsy spider ran up the water spout......Down came the rain and washed the spider out'........The screaming stopped, so I kept singing. I was finishing up with 'Jingle Bells' when they came out of the stall. Mother and son were all smiles. She told me that she's never gotten service like that at a Tim Hortons before.....For those of you who have never heard me sing, I wasn't sure if that was a 'compliment' or a 'complaint'.....She asked if I sang as a hobby (compliment?!?!). We laughed as I told her it must be the bathroom acoustics.

Considering we are short-staffed and I was prepared for the worst this week, my whole week went really well......Lots of happy shiny people, hugs, coffee......and even though the week ended on a 'note' that was a little 'off-key', there were lots of smiles too! :o)

I’m in a rush today. Thanks to Lori, I still had time to post something cheerful!!

Sending my SMILE out to you with hers, folks, and wishing you a great day with many nice surprises - your first being double SMILES here!!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec