I try each day to smile, I know that the world lives on and that they have troubles of their own. So I try and listen to people, I try and be there for them, often to the detriment of myself…it made me write this
The Grieving Smile
“How are you today?” Oh fine, I say and the smile appears,
The smile that reassures those people that care about me,
That I am coping – despite the grief.
Those lips that used to touch his,
Now curl upwards to to display the grieving smile
A smile that hides the pain, hides the desire to be alone
Alone with …read more

When  we are depressed, when we are lonely this affects our emotions. If you catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror you can see you round shoulders, you may be slumping or looking down. Our body language will represent our feelings.
The opposite is true. So if we think about that then we can help our emotions by

Smiling
Standing up tall

Literally a smile can induce physiological changes in our body – including our heart rate etc
It may sound hard – one way I do that is recalling or talking about great memories of your loved one. This induces happier emotions. I …read more

I saws this quote from Anne Frank
“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”
Wow, with all Anne Frank had to endure during the war, if she could still think about the beauty around her then that should inspire us to do the same…look around today and see that beauty. That beauty in nature, in smiles, in the architecture, in the play of children, in the sunset, in the sunrise….

I love the idea of releasing depression, overcoming grief by reaching out to others. Here are 10 tips that I read on Eileen Browns blog
1. Offer a few hours of free babysitting services to a stressed-out single parent in your neighborhood.
2. When you buy food from a vending machine, slip in an extra dollar. The next person to use the machine will be grateful for the free snack.
3. Mow the lawn or cook a meal for an elderly neighbor.
4. Next time you go out to eat, leave a thank-you note along with your server’s tip.
5. When you stop at a …read more