“The power of a smile is such that even drawing a happy face on a piece of paper makes your lips turn up.”

“There's enchantment in a smile, did you know?Shall I prove in a wink that it is so?Watch my mouth grin wide and see,How quick your lips smile back at me!”

“I've a habit of placing a happy-face or a frowny-face on my calendar, depending on what kind of day I've had.  Often I slap a droopy circle in the box, discouraged by the things I failed to accomplish and the unpleasant encounters endured.  But then, invariably, a wise muse stops to ask me these three questions:  Did your children let you hug them today?  Yes.  Did you do a kind deed for someone?  Anyone?  Yes.  Did God forsake you today?  No.  Then, my dear, despite your challenges, it was a good day after all.  Standing corrected,  I twist that frowny-face upside down and smile.”

“Laughing in the face of danger doesn't negate the fear, it simply enables you to smile at it.”

“Then what is true love?” she asked audaciously. Derian leaned forward, his focus powerfully fixed on her. His voice turned delicate and compelling as he spoke. “Love is so much more than a feeling. True love, Eena, is something that develops over time. It’s not that initial infatuation nor the shivers and butterflies that take your breath away when you’re first attracted to someone. Those things are nice, but they are barely the beginning of what could become true love. The emotions you speak of are temporary and unreliable, elicited when two people come together. The power I speak of grows ever stronger over time until it is steadfast, even in separation. Then, reunited, it solidifies unshakably.” She shook her head. “I don’t quite follow.” The captain inched closer, fixing her with the sincerest of gazes. His hands cupped as if he were holding his very heart within them. “True love is a developed and intense appreciation for someone. It’s that perfect awareness that you are finally whole when she’s with you, and that hollow incompleteness you suffer when she’s gone. True love takes time, Eena. It’s an earned comfort that tells you she’ll be right there beside you no matter what you do, not necessarily happy with your every action, but faithful to you just the same. Love is knowing someone so deeply, understanding her so completely, that you can finish her thoughts without hesitation, confident in reading her face, her body, even her slightest gesture means something to you. Love is years of devotion, sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, trust, faith, and friendship all wrapped up in one. True love does more than cause your heart to flutter, Eena. It upholds your heart when the infatuation no longer makes it flutter.” “Wow.”

“A Wish on the Sun""I see the world beyond a tiny window that allows a glimpse of Heaven into my life. Those who dwell in that enviable light cannot hear me through the glass that muffles my cries. They do not appear to see my face pressed against this barrier.I watch them live, carefree and smiling. Even when our eyes lock—mine wide and weary—theirs squint beyond notice of me. They can't peer past the glass, the sunlight glaring off its surface. They don't see me. They won't see me.I make a wish on the sun, staring into its fiery brightness, imagining it blinding me to the beauty beyond my reach. Would my hell feel so awful then? The sun, this nearest star, absorbs my deepest wish for the thousandth time. 'Save me! Hold my hand! Pretend to care!'The light is blocked by a figure stepping past my window, and I feel the universe turn its cold shoulder on me. Despair smothers the hope that made my lips move in utterance of a desperate wish. It ebbs and weakens, but it does not die. The flicker of an ember remains, enough to ignite hope again—another time.All storms eventually cease, do they not?Once more, I press my face against the glass to view a glimpse of Heaven lived by the undeserving. I savor the sunlight, the only thing powerful enough to penetrate the window that bars me in hell. The warm rays touch me. I imagine God's fingers caressing my face—and the dying ember of hope suddenly inflames.”

“Of Woman and Chocolate "Chocolate shares both the bitter and the sweet.Chocolate melts away all cares, coating the heart while smothering every last ache.  Chocolate brings a smile to the lips on contact, leaving a dark kiss behind.  Chocolate is amiable, complimenting any pairing; berries, peanut butter, pretzels, mint, pastries, drinks...everything goes with chocolate.  The very thought of chocolate awakens taste buds, sparking memories of candy-coated happiness.  Chocolate will go nuts with you, no questions asked.  Chocolate craves your lips, melts at your touch, and savors the moment.  Chocolate is that dark and beautiful knight who charges in on his gallant steed ready to slay dragons when needed.  Chocolate never disappoints; it leaves its lover wanting more.  Chocolate is the ultimate satisfaction, synonymous with perfection.  Chocolate is rich, smooth pleasure.  Chocolate has finesse - the charm to seduce and indulge at any time, day or night.  Chocolate is a true friend, a trusted confidant, and faithful lover. Chocolate warms and comforts and sympathizes.  Chocolate holds power over depression, victory over disappointment.  Chocolate savvies the needs of a woman and owns her.   Simply put, chocolate is paradise.”