Hopes and Smiles

Keeping hope alive is not always easy. There is usually an ebb of emotions flowing in and out when times are tough. One minute you are up and the next you come crashing down. A steady diet of unsteady emotions can be exhausting and many will give up – but don’t. At times you have to hang in there with your last breath, if not for yourself, for those who love you.

I had a friend who had more reasons than most to give up, but you would of never known it if you met him. He had cancer, lost his home because of medical bills and his wife left him. About a year ago, his doctor told him he may only have a few years to live.

He was the type of guy if you met him at a bus stop or some public waiting room and started to chat about your problems (struggling to pay your bills, or how your girl friend dumped you or how your boss is driving you crazy), he would listen, console you and tell you things will get better, without once mentioning his problems. He would give you a comforting smile and even try to give you reason to smile about life’s perils. He was an amazing person, who would befriend you, even if all you had was an afternoon of chatting in a public place.

His illness took a turn for the worse. I walked into his hospital room to visit, he sat up, smiled and even cracked a joke about how he looked. Amazing. We chatted about memories, not once about his illness or his fate. When leaving he said to me with a smile “Dan, never stop smiling. Smiles are the seeds of hope.”

My friend of ten plus years, Ron, passed. It’s tough, but for him, I’ll try to keep smiling because he was a blessing that every man, woman and child should experience in their lifetime. Thank you Ron for being more than a friend, but an inspiration for keeping Hope and Smiles alive. I’ll miss you.

Dan

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