There’s someone
who’s always been enchanted by your smile.

In a single day… we greet many people and ask how they are, “How are you? Are you well?”
In a single day… we admire and encourage many, “You’re amazing, truly great!”
In a single day… we thank and apologize to many, “Sorry for causing you trouble.”
And in a single day… we smile at many people.

But what about us—have we received a smile back?
We keep giving these things to others so habitually
that sometimes we forget to think
that we need these things too.

…Promise me that from now on, you won’t forget yourself.

A lifetime is like a journey with no end.

It begins as a tiny being in the mother’s womb,
starting to know this world,
meeting fellow travelers of the same age,
moving through childhood, adolescence, university years,
and then stepping into working life…

Along countless alleys and paths,
always ready for us to turn and start anew.

The road may be smooth and easy,
or steep and towering like a mountain,
sometimes barren, sometimes lined with flowers.

No matter what path we face,
if we stockpile good energy
and carry happiness and smiles with us,
we will surely pass through.

If we stumble and lose these along the way,
trust that at journey’s end,
we will gain something called “experience”
to help us navigate the road ahead.

At least, it reminds us to hold our smiles and happiness
even more carefully next time.

This is the second book by Whenimfeeeling,
author of Promise to Smile at Myself.