If you're happy and you know it

If you're Happy and you know it, Then your face will surely show it.....

I love to see people smile. I love expressions of Joy, I love to hear laughter . It is all the sounds and sights of love and I'd love to share these with you.

Smiles are contagious, Go and contaminate as many people as you can.

Thursday's Thoughts: AKA Near and Dear to my Heart

This is something that is truly very near and dear to my heart. Please indulge me as I share these thoughts on Thursday Morning.

In 2001 My brother took his own life. We as the family left behind were devastated. How could this happen we asked? Didn't he know how much he was loved? As a child I called him Daddy, when he informed me at 3 years old that he was not my Daddy, I simply replied," Who are you then, Roy Rogers."?
 He was and is and always will be my hero/big brother/ ok not quite daddy.
Eddie, The hole you left in my heart will never heal or be filled in any way. I am forever changed.
I miss your beautiful smile, and your laugh and the way it felt when you hugged me. I miss knowing, you always had my back. I miss you.

Edwin Eugene Grice 1959- 2001

I was next touched by suicide when my dear sweet cousin Brad also took his own life.

Brad was a child I considered half mine. I had baby sat for him from the time he was two and until he graduated from high school, was always able to talk his parents into letting me "borrow " him to go to the big events, like the state fair, or festivals, or spring break at the Arnot Inn. 

Brad was given the gifts of humor and music. He had a voice like and angel and loved to make you laugh more than just about anything. I can remember staying up all night with him telling jokes and laughing until my belly ached and my cheeks were cramped with "permagrin" .

Brad told me once that whenever he felt sad, he just tried to think of something funny until he felt better.

J. Bradley Brunson 1977-2010

My third devastating brush with suicide came in 2011, with the very unexpected suicide of my nephew Michael.
Michael came into my life as an infant and enriched it in ways I am not sure he ever knew.
Like Brad, my husband and I " borrowed' Michael and his brother as often as humanly possible and it wasn't uncommon for his parents to have to come and take him back. Michael and his younger brother would often call and ask to come and live with us and in their dreams always said " when I get 18, I am coming to live with you." I never told him that by the time he was 18, he wouldn't want to but I always made sure he knew he had a place in my home.
Michael, I miss your smile, your hugs, your love and your laughter. Nobody else will ever sound like you. I miss you.

Michael A. Caldwell 1981-2011

My last and most recent blow from suicide came with the news of a dear friend. 

Eric D Duvall took his own life shortly after hurricane Matthew devastated the coast of South Carolina. Eric was actually a friend of my son

, who also became a dear friend of mine.

Eric's smile was contagious, his laughter mesmerizing and his quiet soft spirit, loving.

Eric loved helping people and he really loved animals. I remember watching him laugh until tears streamed down his face listening to stories of how my quaker parrot Houdini would escape from his cage, into the other bird cages and ask the other birds " what doin?" while stealing the treats from the other birds cages. Eric thought that was hysterical. I loved watching Eric laugh.

Eric, I will miss your laughter and your sweet loving spirit. I will miss you when the other friends are here and you are not. You will always be missed.

Eric D. Duvall 

1992-2016

I believe that there are times that we all struggle with depression . There are times we all need a friend, even if we do not quite know how to reach out and ask for the help we need.

If you ever feel the need of a friend, help is always available.

There are hotlines you can reach 24 hours a day

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call 1-800-273-8255

Available 24 hours everyday

 if you feel more comfortable texting 

there is a hotline for text as well.:

TEXT “GO” TO 741741 suicide prevention text line 24/7

If you happen to be a veteran like my brother there is a veterans crisis line

Veterans Crisis Line

Connects Veterans in crisis and their 

families and friends with qualified, 

caring VA responders through a 24/7 

confidential toll-free hotline: 1-800-273-8255, and Press 1.

These are all a very present help in times of trouble.

Please reach out , lean on friends because there are times that we all need someone to lean on.

thank you for listening.

Smile! it just makes you feel happy.

Hope you all have a most wonderful Sunday!

Funny Friday

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Oh Man, You caught me....

I have been Tagged! I guess I am it... I have been tagged by Folkartbycampbelljane. I have mentioned her work before and she is one of my favorite artists of all time. Anyway since she tagged me, I am supposed to tell you 6 things that make me happy and then I am to tag 6 others to do the same.

Here Goes, 6 things that make me happy are:
1)Spending time with my family and friends,
2) Hearing children laugh, there's just something about that sound.
3)Seeing my son and husband smile.
4)Traveling to places with strange names (i.e Whynot, NC, Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia, or the best yet, Kingdom Come State park in Kentucky.) I really have been to KINGDOM COME! hahaha "I love far away places with strange sounding names." Ok, really just traveling anywhere.
5) Flowers, lots and lots of flowers in bloom. Especially planting seeds for flowers.
6)Pretty Pictures. Whether painted or photographed, there is something about a picture I just love. They have the gift of teleportation and I guess that fascinates me.

These are just a few of the things that make me happy, there are plenty more and this list isn't really in any particular order either. So now you'd better look out, you just might be it next.