Brianna Kahane is not only an 8 year old violin prodigy, she is a humanitarian.
“I want to bring music back to Haiti and have
Mr. Joseph’s school rebuilt because I think all people
in Haiti were smiling and need to smile now too.”
Inspired by Haitian music teacher Romel Joseph, who was buried for 18 hours under the ruble of his music school during the Haitian earthquake, she has raised millions of dollars to help him rebuild his school and his smile. Thank you Brianna!
“You can’t get to wonderful without passing through alright.”
~ Bill Withers, Singer/Songwriter
This video and book (see link below) on Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman are not to be missed. What a stunningly beautiful and simple testimony to the power of experience and insight from some of our great elders including Judi Dench, Clint Eastwood, Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, and Robert Redford.
I noticed that there was a seriousness to this video and not a lot of smiles. However, this is one case where the messengers are accomplished and respected celebrities and the messages are so valuable and full of good intention that my heart and spirit are smiling and grateful. Take a look and let me know what you think.
Whoever came up with the “cats-have-9-lives” theory was on to something. My cat Francie (photo to left) is 10 years old and has used up more than a few. She’s been with me since I adopted her at the San Diego Humane Society when she was 6 months old.
Who knew then that she was so sick? Within 3 days she would be in a critical care ward at Helen Woodward Animal Clinic, with a diagnosis of complications from being spayed, a respiratory infection, ear mites, 108 degree fever and a reminder from the Vet that if she lived, she’d most likely be brain damaged because of the high fever.
I was tempted to put her down so that she wouldn’t suffer and because of the potential expense, but after the loss of our 16 year old cat 3 months earlier, my partner wisely suggested we take a different approach. He would pay, I would nurse. I went to visit her every day 3x a day, sitting with her, petting her, and asking her to live. By day 4 I was ready to give up.
In frustration, I looked her straight in the eyes while she laid lethargically in an aluminum pie pan to keep her cool, and said plaintively, “Francie, why aren’t you getting better?!” The first thing I heard back in my mind was, “You’ll just dump me like the others did.” I was startled because I wouldn’t have imagined such a direct answer, let alone an answer like that. I had read about animal communication, so didn’t dismiss it, but wasn’t sure how to respond.
Whether or not it was my imagination talking, I stroked her fur again and said with certainty to her, “I will always make sure you are safe and have a home. I promise.” I left the clinic and went home intrigued by my mind’s response, wondering if animals really do communicate that way, and praying for a miracle.
An hour later I received a call from the clinic telling me that, surprisingly, Francie’s fever had finally broken. The next morning I went to visit her and found her on all fours for the first time in five days and meowing loudly, tail up and twittering. The Vet told me she was ready to go home.
The following month was like a triage room in a hospital with everything we did to help her heal - steam showers to open her lungs, intravenous drip hydration, drugs to stimulate her sense of smell so she would eat, antiobiotic liquid down her throat, eye drops and ear drops, heating pad to keep her warm. I wondered if it was worth it for a cat when so many humans die alone without medical care because they can’t afford it. I didn’t have an answer for that other than choosing to focus on how blessed I and Miss FrancieCat are, and to have given my time to pet therapy in nursing homes.
Francie surprised us all with her resilience. Outside of occasional stress colds and allergies, and a little extra sensitivity to sounds, which makes her a great watch-cat, she is a sweet, little 9 pound smiling purrbox who makes me laugh every day and brings everyone who meets her a smile.
How about you? Do you have a favorite memory with an animal that makes you smile? Tell me their name and share your story in the comment box. I’d love to hear from you.
“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter,
for in the dew of little things
the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”
~ Kahlil Gibran ~
Teacher Danyl Johnson’s passion for music and teaching made it to X Factor! And what a gift that is for all of us. Watching him reach into people’s hearts singing “With A Little Help From My Friends,” had me out of my chair at home smiling and cheering along with the live audience.
Thank you to all the teachers around the world who make learning a joy and school a happy, healthy, safe place to be.
Horses have always amazed and delighted me. The few times I’ve galloped on a horse, and the many times I’ve watched them run free in an open field, their power and speed has left me breathless.
As a preteen I longed to ride at Joy Farm during the summers where my two friends Margaret and Tom became blue ribbon riders. When my father said it was too expensive to send me, I settled into living vicariously through the stories of my friends and became a great fan of the weekly TV show Mr. Ed, the talking horse and his friend Wilbur.
In my 20’s, finally self-supporting, I actually rented a horse for a month for $35 - paid for the privilege of grooming and riding on weekends - and being bucked by a white stallion when I made the mistake of thinking that holding the reins tells the horse you’re the one in control.
Since then I’ve learned a lot about horses and myself, so when I saw this video of Shagra, the smiling horse, it tapped into the reminder of the greatest gifts I’ve been given from horses and actually, all the animals in my life: learning how to trust and care for them, and in return, receiving love, acceptance, and joy.
Watch this video and be prepared to smile all the way through as you experience the devotion and playfulness between Shagra and his human companion Phyllis that led to her overcoming alcoholism and unhealthy choices and finding peace and happiness.
What about you? Has there been a special connection with a horse or other animal that has made you smile and deepened your joy for life?
Give an extra smile to someone today. You never know when it might save a life. And at the very least, it will increase your vibration.
Here are some of my favorite smile quotations from the Internet. All are credited to that famous philosopher Anonymous. If you can prove the original author, please let me know, as I think it’s important to give recognition wherever we can.
 “Don’t frown because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.”
(Found the above quotation in several places, including the awesome Small Business Social Media Expert Karriann Graf (read her blog)
“A smile is a light in the window of your face to show your heart is at home.”
“Don’t cry because its over, Smile because it happened!”
“If you don’t start out the day with a smile, it’s not too late to start practicing for tomorrow.”
Michael Jackson burst into my life when I was a junior in high school and I first heard him sing, “I Want You Back” on the radio.
I remember driving around that summer with friends in my mom’s burgundy ‘68 mustang convertible with the white top down, going to Kopp’s Drive-In in Milwaukee and blasting the radio volume, singing along with this 10 year old boy whose voice secretly captivated even the most jaded and prejudiced of our still unofficially segregated city.
My friend Kathy, now a brilliant attorney representing Native Americans, danced and sang with abandon to his music and entertained us all at 16 years old, leading to smiles that erupted into peals of laughter and a group sing-a-long. In a recent phone call remembering that special time, she said to me, “I think his music opened doors for all of us to really appreciate African-American music and other cultures in a way we couldn’t have otherwise.”
Fast forward 40 years, in San Diego, just 90 miles away from Neverland and Staples Center where the Memorial was going on today, I watched on CNN as Michael Jackson was being remembered by his close friend Brook Shields. I was surprised to learn that even with all the masterpiece songs he wrote and performed, his favorite song was also one of my favorites: “Smile.”
While writing this post I was also surprised to discover during a google search for the “Smile” lyrics that they were written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons in 1954 for Nat King Cole and to the melody written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936 to accompany his last silent film “Modern Times.” Perhaps a trite detail unless you consider a deeper meaning: a genuine smile transcends all human barriers including race, culture, language, age, gender, personality, and often, even attitude.
Some with “atittude” say that “Smile though your heart is aching” is being inauthentic. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances. No question, there are times when it feels like it’s impossible to smile, and given Michael Jackson’s life and death, he had many of those times, like we all do if we’re honest with each other. And yet, he kept trying to smile and share his creative genius in whatever way he could.
My own experience and new scientific research is showing that consciously choosing to smile makes you feel better and relieves pain and sadness in the moment. And yes, the song’s lyrics do say, “Hide every trace of sadness…what’s the use of crying,” which is a great drive-time platitude, but as in the case of Michael Jackson and anyone else with significant pain of any type, smiling as your primary strategy to hide sadness instead of addressing the pain head-on with professional help doesn’t eliminate personal challenges and weaknesses, and often makes things worse.
But smiling is an empowering short-term coping strategy, especially combined with singing and dancing and connecting with people you love. Your smile has the power to lift you or someone you love out of a funk. Your smile is the inspiration to get everyone focused on what’s right with our world so we have the strength to heal what’s wrong in our world. Here’s the catch though, we have to take a stand to help each other choose to smile and sing and dance AND lovingly witness each other’s pain when we most want to ignore it - again and again and again - to keep the energy moving in a healthy direction.
It’s easy enough to focus on our own shortcomings, even more so others, especially when they’re alive, and so much easier to focus on their gifts and strengths after they’ve died. I don’t pretend to understand Michael Jackson’s lifestyle choices, so I choose to focus on his gifts and learn from his shadow behavior, believing that ultimately this choice is what transforms human frailities into divine legacies.
My prayer and vision for our world is that the legacy of Michael Jackson will guide us as a global community to choose to carry on the absolutely life-saving power of holding each other in our strengths, celebrating each other’s gifts, and bringing light to our shadows while we’re alive so that the only choice each one of us can heartfully and logically make when we struggle is to heal the shadow, seek the light in our smile and keep choosing to fully and creatively live the life we’ve been gifted.
SMILE
Smile though your heart is aching;
Smile even though it’s breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by.
If you smile through your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow,
You’ll see the sun come shining through for you.
Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness.
Although a tear may be ever so near,
That’s the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile,
If you just smile.
That’s the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.
We mourn the loss of Michael Jackson and may not be able to bring him back, but we can thank him by choosing to pay forward the legacy of his creative spirit and loving heart. Watch him singing, “Smile,” on this touching video tribute.
If you’re unable to view the video, here is the YouTube link: http://bit.ly/v6Xom
Whoever came up with the “cats-have-9-lives” theory was on to something. My cat Francie (photo to left) is 10 years old and has used up more than a few. She’s been with me since I adopted her at the 
Francie surprised us all with her resilience. Outside of occasional stress colds and allergies, and a little extra sensitivity to sounds, which makes her a great watch-cat, she is a sweet, little 9 pound smiling purrbox who makes me laugh every day and brings everyone who meets her a smile.
Horses have always amazed and delighted me. The few times I’ve galloped on a horse, and the many times I’ve watched them run free in an open field, their power and speed has left me breathless.
