For my Word Weavers writing group, we were asked to write : The power of a smile.
in retrospect, I knew. The smile gave it away. the smile was different. the eyes smiled. the mood
was calm. But that smile drooped on the left side. Maybe I was just looking at it funny. Did it always droop. When did it start drooping. Have I just overlook it.? Maybe I never noticed. Maybe I just didn’t pay attention
to it because I was always busy with kids, house, dogs. It was really OK.He was doing what he always does. Goes into his home office after breakfast,closes the door and starts writing. I just popped the door to say that I was
going out. I don’t know, it does look different around his mouth.If it was a problem, I could tell, don’t you think.For Pete’s sake, I’m a nurse. I would know if something was wrong.He is a successful free lance writer. . He has international accounts.
What could be wrong. He’s at his desk working. Must be me. He’s fine. Come to think of it, that smile does look funny. Yes it is drooping. What’s he saying. It sounds like gibberish. Oh my God, Call 9-1-1 my husband is having a stroke. It’s
the smile . that smile.The smile told the story. That smile changed my life forever. Other events slowly followed that smile. Aphasia,cognition problems,change of gait, and then ,mostly silence. But always that smile. I don’t have to close my eyes to
see that smile in my minds eye. He wore that smile for 20 more years almost to the day. And this is the power of a smile for me.