Rebecca4SelfHelp

Self Help and Self Care may come in just taking time to remember those who inspired your life. Remembering their strength during times that seemed hopeless.

Every month the hospital had a different themed tree and contests to keep the patients entertained and the atmosphere light hearted. Needless to say, we won for best Hawaii themed dressed. You can’t tell by this picture, but just five minutes before she was getting a chemo and radiation treatment which made her so super ill afterwards, but she put on her happy face just for this picture and for everyone in the room. She believed in always helping others and most “have it worse than me” attitude, so she did it for them. She was definitely the brightest light in a dark time. While she was here on earth, she would do her best to be positive and would be always smiling. The doctors sometimes didn’t believe how bad her cancer was until they seen the results, she always said she was just fine and smiled delightfully.

Growing up with her and that smile was sometimes tricky. Sometimes I would be scared because she could turn it on like a switch, she would be yelling at me or disciplining me then answer the phone with a smile on her face the next minute. One time I asked her how or why she was always smiling on the phone and she told me that people can actually hear and feel your smile through the line and it was good for life and business. My Mom was a smart woman who was possibly a super woman even. She raised us two girls by herself, provided everything for us from the beginning and yet worked many jobs at a time. I don’t know how she did it all but she did. All while still smiling! Before she passed she accomplished a lot of her dreams and her legacy is so great!

This is the pic(the one Im licking her face and she looks scared LOL) that inspired a” Smiles2yous” Facebook page, there are 800+ followers on there today. Every time I look at this pic the memory shoots back into my mind and I can’t help but crack up smiling. She counted on me for the craziness, humor, positivity, happiness and extra smiles during the times when we needed it most. But also to carry on her legacy that even though she is not here, I will still bring the “Smiles2yous”!!!

Every time I remember her beautiful face I can just see her smiling at me. I remember that when no one thought I would succeed or amount to anything that she was always there encouraging me to do more and to always to do my best. Jane, sweet Janey, sometimes I was that kid being a pain and pushing all the buttons and yet somehow she found endless patience with me. She always had hopes for me even when I thought that I wasn’t sure what to do. She supported my decisions even when she did not whole heartedly agreed but let me live my life. She was so proud of me and let everyone know it! When I graduated high school, graduated Navy boot camp, received my AA/AS degrees, on Deans Honor List, all my endless trainings, classes and certifications, my BA was the last degree she was able to celebrate but none the less made a huge production of it all. Sharing in my successes made her so happy. I always strived to make her proud, not for myself but for her to know that she inspired me to do my best. That she did a good job raising me by herself. That she was my strength during my struggle. She was my rock in my times of unsteady walks. Jane’s smile and hugs were a reason to run home after a long day. She made me tougher than most boys, sweeter than most girls, and taught me to be steadfast and sturdy. Set my mind to it and it would happen. She would says “don’t worry Becky,things always work out for you”. Sometimes just with encouraging words, and sometimes tough love, but it all worked out.

When her time was coming to it’s end, somehow she was still trying to be strong for us girls. When her final breaths came, I got another chance to encourage her “don’t worry about us girls, things always work out for us”. Reminding her that she did a great job as a Mom and the she could go now. She looked so peaceful yet I still felt her smiling as she went on. Happy with her life and knew she did her best with us girls. She took a piece of my heart but left me with a lifetime of inspiration and a legacy to be carried on for her.

A smile can change everything. A smile can impact lives beyond our knowledge and awareness. It might take a smile to just make someone else’s day better. You may even save a life with just a smile to a stranger who may be close to the edge (a personal experience).