The Smile Pile

[Deleted]

What?
This is a thread in which I will make my best effort to post once per day with something that I think will make people smile. It could be a quote, an image, art, a video or even just a random thought I had. Others are also welcome to post here with their Smiles, though do make sure to be as inclusive as possible. i.e. no in-jokes and whatnot.

Why?
Do I need a reason? Well, I guess there are several reasons. The first is that I've noticed a lot of struggle and strife going on in the lives of various forumers, and although this won't solve their problems, I would love it if it made them smile sometimes. Hence the project name. The other major reason is for me, myself and I. I've been making an effort to think positive about things and I think this would help me a lot, since it will force me to find/make/think up something happy.

When?
My general idea is once a day, but it's hardly a firm rule. I'm a pretty dedicated person when it comes to projects, especially if they help people, so you can be sure I'll be updating unless something major prevents me from doing so. That said, sometimes I may post more than once a day. It all depends on the reaction this thread gets.

Who?
Anyone! Seriously, this isn't just my thread, it's for everyone, and if you want to contribute, you'll make me extra happy.

So, now we've got that outta the way, I've got a few more tidbits to get past. I'll be keeping an index of all the Smiles in the second post. If you post a Smile, make sure to indicate this to me somehow so I know to edit the index. Also, if you do post a Smile, try to make it as generalized as possible so more forumers can appreciate it. It should also be noted that I'll be posting in my own timezone, because I suck at conversions and such. x3

Now all's said and done, to the Smiles!

Other Threads to Make You Smile

• Kozma's Corner of Cute
  
• Compliment the Person Above You
  
• Compliment Thread 3
  
• Pictures that make you laugh
  

[Deleted]

Smile Index

SPOILER: Click to show

• Hope -Sarn (13/12/2010)
  
• Love -Sarn (14/12/2010)
  
• Hugs -Sarn (15/12/2010)
  
• Safety -Sarn (16/12/2010)
  
• Words -Alyssa (16/12/2010)
  
• Boldness -Sarn (17/12/2010)
  
• Kitty -Sarn (18/12/2010)
  
• Seasons -Sarn (19/12/2010)
  
• Pajama Day -Sarn (21/12/2010)
  
• Lions and Lambs -Sarn (22/12/2010)
  
• Little Things -Sarn (23/12/2010)
  
• Survivors & Victims -Sarn (24/12/2010)
  
• Awesome Things -Alyssa (24/12/2010)
  
• Cartoons -Sarn (25/12/2010)
  
• Sleep -Sarn (26/12/2010)
  
• Pets -Sarn (27/12/2010)
  
• Dance -Sarn & Sen (28/12/2010)
  
• Nom -Sarn (29/12/2010)
  
• Bad Karaoke -Sarn (30/12/2010)
  
• Yay! -Alyssa (30/12/2010)
  
• Snuggle -Sarn (31/12/2010)
  
• Fresh Start -Sarn (1/1/2011)
  
• BFF Bunnies -Sarn (2/1/2011)
  
• Nun Shall Pass -Sarn (4/1/2011)1
  
• Walking the Mile -Sarn (5/1/2011)
  
• Poldongiggle -Poldon (5/1/2011)
  
• Conception to Birth -Sarn (6/1/2011)
  
• Rags to Riches -Sarn (7/1/2011)
  
• Smile -Sarn (8/1/2011)
  
• Dancing Fools -Alyssa (9/1/2011)
  
• Odd Spot #402 -Sarn (9/1/2011)
  
• Memories -Sarn (10/1/2011)
  
• Washing Up -Sarn (11/1/2011)
  
• Taliband -Sarn (12/1/2011)
  
• Opinion Polls -Sarn (13/1/2011)
  
• Seals -Celestial (13/1/2011)
  
• You Won't Believe It -Sarn (14/1/2011)
  
• Who's the Cutest? -Candy (14/1/2011)
  
• Pink Fluffy Unicorns -Jay (14/1/2011)
  
• Living to the Fullest -Candy (14/1/2011)
  
• Big People Words -Candy (14/1/2011)
  
• Superman's Facebook -Azzie (14/1/2011)
  
• Singing Horses -Sarn (15/1/2011)
  
• Page Heart -Nat (16/1/2011)
  
• Strength -Sarn (16/1/2011)
  
• Not Quite Pepsi -Sarn (17/1/2011)
  
• Late-Night Conversations -Shade (17/1/2011)
  
• Solitude -Sarn (18/1/2011)
  
• Cricket the Kitten -Candy (19/1/2011)
  
• Cleaning -Sarn (19/1/2011)
  
• Purry -Sarn (20/1/2011)
  
• Dancing Vader -Sarn (21/1/2011)
  
• Train Station Improv -Sarn (22/1/2011)
  
• Never-Ending Cats -Jay (23/1/2011)
  
• Adorable Kids -Candy (24/1/2011)
  
• Haters -Luna (25/1/2011)
  
• Flash Mob -Sarn (27/1/2011)
  
• Kitten Obsession -Candy (27/1/2011)
  
• Christian the lion -Sarn (30/1/2011)
  
• MaKay-ver Prank -Sarn (1/1/2011)
  
• Dwarven Poetry -Sarn (2/1/2011)
  
• Vietnam Miracle -Sarn (3/1/2011)
  
• Smile! -Sarn (4/1/2011)
  
• Birds -Sarn (6/1/2011)
  
• The Race -Sarn (7/1/2011)
  
• Hope is the Thing with Feathers -Sen & Sarn (8/1/2011)
  
• All I Want is You -Sarn (10/2/2011)
  
• A Special Someone -Sarn (14/2/2011)
  
• Child Conductor -Terra (17/2/2011)
  
• Silly Cats! -Sarn (23/2/2011)
  
• Snow Leopard Cub -Candy (24/2/2011)
  
• Hey Jude -Nat (26/2/2011)
  
• Being Human -Sarn (6/3/2011)
  
• Mission Impossible -Sarn (22/3/2011)
  
• Footsteps on the Moon -Nat (16/4/2011)
  
• Hey! -Sarn (19/6/12
  
• Fantastic -Sarn (24/6/12)
  
• Possible -Sarn (26/6/12)
  
• You are Wonderful -Sarn (30/6/12)
  
• Mental Illness -Sarn (5/7/12)
  
• A Long-Awaited Apology -Sarn (11/7/12)
  
• Amszing Guitarists -Sarn (17/7/12)
  
• Free Disney -Sarn (19/7/12)
  
• The Surrender -Sarn (24/7/12)
  
• Laps Frubi Nu! -Sarn (13/8/12)
  
• Don't Give Up -Sarn (15/8/12)
  
• Motivational Images -Fraze (15/8/12)
  
• I Don't Get It -Sarn (21/8/12)
  

[Rikku]

<3 Shiny idea, Sarn.

[Deleted]

Those Who Live in Hope
13th of December, 2010[/b]

I figure since this is the first one, I'll make it as far-reaching as possible. This is my own thought process, however, and it may not reflect on your particular life and situation. Here goes. *deep breath*

Hope is the opposite of fear, and all of us hope at some point in our lives. We hope for a better situation, for a nicer day. We as a race seem to live in hope. We often feel that hope is a bad thing, because it is the act of holding on to what might happen, even if it probably won't. Hope is both a beautiful and difficult thing.

And yet, those who live in hope should count themselves blessed, because if we had no hope, all there would be is despair. We know something better must come because we still have hope. We are not lost, nor will our situation always remain the same, and so we have hope.

Cherish it, because it is precious.

If you are missing someone, then hope is your assurance that you will see them again.

If you are having all these huge troubles, then hope is your assurance that one day they'll pass.

It may not come soon. It may not be what you expect.

But it will give you hope.

[Celestial]

<3 It's a lovely and wonderful idea, Sarn. I'll try to contribute a bit, even if it is just with mildly funny pictures.

[Deleted]

Love
14th of December, 2010

Love is one of those things that you can never fully describe. You can put words to aspects of it, you can try to explain how it makes you feel, but it is, in essence, indescribable. It is wholly mysterious and utterly wonderful.

The English language is ill-equipped to describe love, but other languages do a better job at it. Greek, for instance, has three main words for the one English word "love" and many more less commonly used words as well. These major three are eros, Philia and agape.

Eros is where we get the English word 'erotic', and it is also the name of the Greek God of love. It is sensual, impulsive, and used to describe the kind of love one has for something that is lovable. Loving something or someone worthy of love is what eros is all about.

Philia is what is known as brotherly love. It describes a companionship and is the basis for many English words such as 'philanthropy'.

But the one I want to draw your attention to is the third, agape.

Agape is the kind of love that needs no reason, or explanation. It is loving regardless of whether or not the recipient loves you back. It is loving even if you get nothing in return. Love for love's sake. It is a most beautiful and wonderful thing to have and give. It is the kind of love that would traverse the depths of Hell itself (or some other awful place if you prefer) just to see you smile.

And whether you believe it or not, every single person has experienced this kind of love. If you're a Christian, your agape comes from God. Most everyone has had it from their mother or father, and if not then you've had it from a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a sibling, a mentor, a friend or a partner. And if you truly don't believe you have had agape from anyone in your life, then you have certainly had it from someone you don't even know.

There are people out there who make it their business to care about every single human being, to agape the world and everyone in it. They love because they pray, and they pray because they love. And they agape you, even if you don't know about it.

So smile. You're agape'd.

[Deleted]

The Blessing of a Hug
15th of December, 2010



Some of you may already have seen this video or heard of the campaign. It all started with a man named Juan Mann who was forced back to Sydney with nothing but a bag full of clothes and a world of trouble. As he watched others greeting friends and family in the airport terminal, he felt himself wishing someone had been there to hug him.

So, on impulse, he got a bit of cardboard and a marker and wrote the words 'free hugs' on both sides, then stood in the busiest part of the city he could find and held it up.

He wrote about his first hugathon on the campaign website;

"And for 15 minutes, people just stared right through me. The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling."

"Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven't compared. But to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment, is worth it every time."

Only a few months later the Sydney Police Department ordered the Free Hugs Campaign banned due to liability reasons and red tape. But Juan had touched so many people already that it wasn't long before over 10,000 people signed a petition to allow the campaign to continue. A policeman who had worked against the petition (doing his job) was among those who signed. Eventually, the campaign continued, expanded, and today it is known all over the world as a movement of hope and kinship.

Though many may just ignore the owner of a 'free hugs' sign, there are many more who have experienced the warmth even a stranger's embrace can bring, even if it is only for a moment, it still touches their hearts.

[Deleted]

One Safe Place
16th of December, 2010

Yesterday afternoon I was doing some work when I heard a lot of cheeping sounds coming from much closer than they should be. I went to sate my curiosity, and when I wandered out of my room and into the lounge, I saw two ducklings hanging around the sliding door. It was open enough that they could wander in, and the two little guys were nervously running in and out. So, naturally, I went to get my camera and took photos and a video. By the time I came back, they'd become more confident and were waddling around under the coffee table and behind the couch while their mother sat outside calling to them.



I put down some crushed Weet-bix for them and filmed them nomming away happily, adoring them, but not daring to get too close in case the mother got agitated or they got scared. See, the wonders of baby ducklings!

Now, there are three reasons this should make you smile. The first is their obvious cuteness. They were utterly adorable. ^_^ But that's not the only thing I noticed about them. I noticed that they were exceedingly bold. Once they got used to being inside, they roamed as they pleased while their mother waited patiently outside. She wouldn't come in, but she sat and watched her chicks protectively through the glass. She was, in a sense, the perfect mother, and those ducklings knew they were safe.

They were a little spooked when I started gently shooing them outside, but they ran to their mother who gathered them up. See, to them, there's no place safer than under her watchful gaze.

I think some of us forget that we also have a safe place where we can go when we get scared, or when things get too much. Our parents, mentors, uncles and aunts, grandparents or other caregivers never really stop being our parents. When we're young we tend to think of these people as superpeople. I know I thought my mother was superwoman (though without the skimpy clothes. xD) and as I grew older I learned more and more that she, like me, was only mortal. But despite that, I never stopped relying on her, asking her advice, and generally taking advantage of the protection she provides in all areas of my life.

She may not be perfect, and I may not always do what she wants, but she is my safe place, the place I can go no matter what's happened, no matter how scared I get. Maybe you don't think you have a safe place ... but then again, maybe you need to make one for yourself. Either way, having a mother duck watching over you is as good a reassurance as any you'll find.

[Dju]

This topic is so sweet :')
No words to describe it!

[Alyssa]

Words





This is one of my favorite YouTube videos ever.
It's a little long, about 16 minutes, but so awesome.

It shows the power your words can have.
Just one simple compliment or nice word can completely flip someone's day right side up.

It also shows how powerful a smile is.
A smile can be the one bright thing in a person's day.

Make it a point to go out of your way to be nice to someone today.
It could really make a difference, to both them and you.

[Crystal]

'Free hugs' was an amazing post. I loved it.

[Deleted]

Adventurat Takes Advantage of an Open Door
17th of December, 2010

Long title today, and quite strange, but here's what it's all about. The same day I took the video of the ducks was the same day, when no one else was around, I let my rat Baxter go walkies. The others don't know I have him, because if they did, they'd freak, so poor Baxter is limited to my room. So to treat him to a new experience, I left my door open, closed the bathroom door so he wouldn't find his way in there, and lay on my bed resting and watching over him.

At first he only went to the door, then ran back to me and crawled up onto my bed for cuddles. Then he went off and found something to eat under my bed, and then he was venturing close to the doer again. Sniffing, snooping, testing. Eventually he crossed the threshold, took a few steps out and then ran back again.

He kept doing this for ages, each time going a little further, and each time running back to me. Eventually he went on an extra long excursion so I got up to make sure he was okay. When he saw me at the door, he came running back and wanted to crawl up my leg. I left him out there and got my camera, but by the time I got it out of its case, he'd come back and was wanting cuddles again. So I gave them, continued my work and forgot to look.

When I finally did, he was near the door, snooping again. I readied the camera and watched with pride as he ventured out once more. In the video you'll see I move quietly to the door so as not to disturb him, and he keeps on exploring. Eventually he passes by me again and spares my leg a little lovelick, but then he's off again.



So why am I showing and telling all of this? Well to some of you it'll be cute. To others you may not enjoy rats so much. So here's a morale tacked on to the end. Baxter's home is his cage, his whole world is my room and the hoods/inside of my clothing. Rats have awful eyesight, so when I take him out with me and he pokes his head out, all he really sees is me. While he's able to roam relatively freely around my room (he's not allowed on my desk unless I'm paying attention. Rats chew like crazy), he's still got a nice little world in which he can have utter confidence of safety.

And yet, this little fella, this tiny, weak, defenceless and insignificant little rattus rattus was bold enough to venture into this much bigger and scarier world I had opened up for him. He did it nervously and with a lot of encouragement from me, but he still did it on his own, and eventually he got a little more confident. I'm willing to bed if he had had more time, he'd've owned the whole house instead of just my room.

So if my Baxter can boldly go where (hopefully) no rat has gone before be bold, then so can you. You might need help and snuggles, it might take time, but you will get there in the end. If you're facing scary challenges ahead of you, then face the with a rat's boldness, and have confidence that you will get through.

[Kina, Grovyle Fangirl]

This thread is so inspirational, touching and sweet! <3 I smiled AND I felt like crying, but not from sadness.

[Deleted]

Dec 16, 2010 20:46:38 GMT -5 Kina, Grovyle Fangirl said:

This thread is so inspirational, touching and sweet! <3 I smiled AND I felt like crying, but not from sadness.

Yay! I'm so glad to hear at least one person is helped. ^_______^ You've made my day.

[Deleted]

Kitty is Content
18th of December, 2010



It doesn't need a deep reason for being. It's reason is that it's cute. Happy Smiling!