A Simple Smile

We all get depressed, some of us more than others. I put myself in the rarely section, believe it or not I'm an optimist. I do try to look on the bright side sometimes it's very hard to see it, but it's there. What brings you back when you get stuck in that dark place? For me it's many things. A beautiful day, fresh bread, clean sheets, the smell of the ocean, the rain on my face, the wind through my hair, so many things. A lot of people suffer depression and I can understand that, sometimes it does feel that the weight of the world gets to heavy to support and even Atlas himself would pass the weight to someone else if he could. When I was a child I used to hear of his woe and wonder why didn't he just drop the world, what's the point? But now I know, I know that the world is too beautiful to just let go. For all the pain and the suffering there is also an unimaginable beauty that makes up for every bad thing that ever happened. The trees at the beginning of spring, the smell of wet paint on the canvas, the tears in your eyes, everything is beautiful. If you can't see the beauty, distance will show you, take a step back and view your life not as the main player but as someone watching from the sidelines. Yes you'll see sorrow, but you'll also see those small fleeting moments of joy and isn't it worth all that pain, all that suffering just to have those wonderful moments, wouldn't you do it all again. Life wasn't meant to be easy, it was meant to be precious, sacred, short, that's the only way you can value it. Something beautiful that you only get one shot at. I know of many ways to overcome my bouts of depression. There is one way that works for me every time even when I don't want it to and that way is a simple smile. Not from anyone mind you, it must be from some one I hold in high regard, someone I've looked up to at one point or another, only a few people I know of have this effect on me and I doubt they are even aware of it, but when they smile at me I can't help but smile back. I suppose it's not just a smile, it does have to be directed at me and me alone for it to work and sometimes I wish it didn't work at all, but it is nice to know that if I'm really depressed all I have to do is track down one of these people and I'll be holding up the world again. It's as easy as a simple smile.