Some Might Say It's Just A Smile

One might not think a smile can bring tears to someones face, but it can. It happened to me, last night, not long after I  flipped to the weather channel http://www.theweatherchannel.com  . They were interviewing a man, whose home was hit by a tornado.  He spoke of the tornado coming through, the destruction of much of his home, and then, incredibly, he smiled. I was so moved, at his strength, in the face of catastrophe, that I cried. He and many of the other people interviewed, showed such bravery in the wake of Hurricane Irene, Katia and Tropical Storm Lee.

Many people, these past few days, have felt the power of Hurricane Irene http://www.bing.com/ (Hurricane Irene), Tropical storm Lee http://www.sacbee.com/ (Remnants of Lee bring fresh flood worries to East), and Hurricane Katia, http://www.bloomberg.com/ , (Hurricane Katia to pass between Bermuda, U.S. East coast today), and still they smile and find the positive.  I felt so amazed and emotional while watching this and continue to feel that way. And I know some might say, it's just a smile, but to me it's a symbol of hope, endurance, and the road to rebuilding what the elements have taken away.

But it's not just their smile that amazes me.  It's neighbors, friends, and total strangers come together, lending a hand,to start the road to rebuilding. This is proof of what resilient people we are, and will always be. It makes me proud to be part of a society of people, that are not quitters, that even in the face of destruction, they can still see the bright side. That no matter what, they are going to persevere.

So, really, I know why I cried the last night when I saw that man's sweet smile.  He wasn't defeated by a tornado, touching down and taking away parts of his house, he was doing good. He knew that houses, cars and possessions can be replaced. So in all this devastation, he still found a reason to smile, and that was wonderful.