Even if my mouth didn't sometimes get "stuck" I'd know I was smiling more these days. Did you ever notice that when you smile your whole body seems lighter and your heart feels weightless? Next time you find yourself smiling, stop and listen to your heart's song. It is lighter, happier, more easy-going.
So what am I smiling about? A field of blackeyed susans for one. There I was, driving along a narrow, winding road lined with freshly mowed fields. All of a sudden, there they were, these lovely flowers greeting all who drove by.
People here in Tennessee have been decorating for the fall season. There were pumpkins and scarecrows everywhere I looked. I smiled because I love fall. I smiled because even if you did decorate in Florida, it never felt like fall so it somehow lost some of its appeal but here it is genuinely refreshing.
Driving a little farther down this winding road, I happened upon an old farmhouse. As I found myself wondering about the stories this farmhouse could tell if only it could talk, I spied several goats grazing in the side yard. And I smiled. They reminded me of the goat that lived in my Gramm's neighborhood when I was small. We would take a walk along the railroad tracks behind her house. At the end of the path, the last yard was home to "Fragrance" the goat. She loved Dentyne gum but even more than the gum, she loved the wrapper from Gramm's Dentyne!
A few miles down the road, I started up an incline. Now, having driven in Florida (spelled f-l-a-t) for nearly thirty years, I had forgotten about the steep inclines and the surprises that might be lurking at the top of the incline. As I approached the top of the incline, I couldn't see what was to come. But pretty soon, I was coasting down the road at a speed that made my stomach drop to my toes. And I smiled. Not because I necessarily like that feeling, but because it caused me to remember the Sunday afternoon rides that we would take as a family. Daddy would be sure to drive down country roads, through covered bridges and up and down the hills 'til we had enough "roller coaster effect" to last 'til the next time.
Stopping at a local farmer's market along the way I discovered the small town appeal and homegrown element that has been missing back in Naples, Florida for so long. Vendors with their homemade jams, pastries, and breads encourage sampling. Fresh produce never looked so good. Cardboard signs boast "best local 'taters" and other homegrown fruits and veggies. The locals are charming, friendly and welcoming. Smiles abound at the farmer's market - mine included!
On the way back from my country drive, I began to notice that here in the valley there is an occasional blush of autumn's colors but nothing that one would call spectacular - yet. And I smiled. I smiled because seeing those first blushing leaves I know that the fall season is on its way.
At the end of my country drive I smiled because I had just spent a delightful day exploring and experiencing my new surroundings. I smiled because I had been given so many reasons to smile that day. I smiled because I realized that I am genuinely happy and relaxed. And I smiled because I felt good and when you feel good it is just natural to smile!
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