Where Have My Childhood Smiles Gone?
When I was a child, my smiles were big, bright, and frequent, lighting up my face and the world around me with an innocent joy. Every new experience was a source of wonder, and every day was filled with endless possibilities.
The smallest things—a butterfly landing on a flower, a new toy, or a kind word from a friend—could spark an uncontainable happiness that radiated outward. The world seemed simpler then, painted in vivid colors of hope and boundless imagination, where laughter came as easily as breathing.
Now, nearly seventy years later, those smiles have faded in size and frequency, dulled by the wear and tear of life’s many challenges. The passage of time has brought its share of sorrows and disappointments, each one etching lines of experience into my face and heart.
The world, once a playground, has revealed its harsher realities—loss, pain, and the inevitable decline that comes with aging. Smiles still come, but they are more subdued, tempered by a lifetime of memories and the sobering knowledge that joy and sadness are inextricably linked.
Years have flown by, and the puddles remain,
But now my reflections carry life's strain.
Grins aren't as grand, yet still, they appear,
Softened by time, but still held dear.
Read full poem - Lifetime of Smiles
Yet, in the quiet moments, there's a different kind of beauty in these well-earned smiles, a testament to resilience and the enduring spirit that has navigated the complex landscape of a long, lived life.
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