Wednesday 17 August 2022

July AND August #TBCSmiles...

In all the time I've collected the #tbcsmiles I haven't missed a month until last month. I have already apologised, and I really was very much grieving my Mum, and dealing with her funeral and all of the other things that need to be sorted when someone dies. My head was far too full, I didn't want to have to turn on my laptop and I just wanted to be left in peace. I guess it happens to all of us at times, and I'm glad I was able to tell myself to stop, and rest. 

I've spent a lot of time sitting in the garden staring at insects, and it's allowed me to think, and wonder, and remember a time when all of those around me now weren't there, and a cheekily-grinning and innocent little girl was.

Me and my mum in 1974 She is crouched and holding my baby sister on her lap

For anyone who didn't know why I collect my smiles, it is because they are incredibly precious, but so often we let them slip by unnoticed, or forgotten. It's easy to count how many times you cried last month, but how many times did you laugh? We need to remember these times equally. They remind us we can be a success, we can make people's day a bit brighter, we can make other people laugh too. They are the reason we are here. When you strip everything back, all any of us ever really want is to be happy. Start counting the happy times, and revel in your own success with an extra grin. 

In my absence you still shared your smiles over on Instagram, and a huge thank you to all of you. Lots of children seemed to get their first pair of glasses, including my own youngest child. We had birthdays and holidays, football, camping and splashing in pools, festivals and glitter tattoos, and all of those things that add up to a great Summer.

As I'm a month overdue, we deserve 18 smiley photos, so here are 9 of the biggest from mid June to mid July... 

#TBCSMiles July 2022 Your smiles in a square collage

As shared by the following photographers:

Over40AndAMumToOne / MrsAmyLFox / MrsHsFavouriteThings
CasaCostello / Superbusymum / TheStrawberryFountain
GoingOnAnAdventureBlog /HayleeLouise / TheStrawberryFountain

And another 9 of the biggest from mid July to mid August:

#TBCSMiles August 2022 collage of 9 smiley photos from readers

As shared by these excellent grin-catchers:

BeautiesAndTheBibs / MrsHsFavouriteThings / Over40AndAMumToOne
LittleBoo / MrsShilts / TippyTupps
TobyGoesBananas / ClaireyHarpo / HodgePodgeDays

You can, of course, see the entire collection of over 8,000 smiles on Instagram, using the hashtag #tbcsmiles. If you want to join in, you'll always be welcome, just tag any photo with a grin, chuckle or laugh. They're contagious. Just 1 smile can become hundreds... 

My family still made our own smiles too, in spite of sad events. I spent most of the last 6 weeks in Derby, but I took my youngest 2 boys with me for a few days and showed them the sites, and Sonja the kitten has kept people company back at home... you might just spot that both my young boys decided they fancied a change... 

#TBCSMiles July and August 2022 collage of my own family's s Smiles

The smiles are always there, but sometimes you just have to look a little harder... 


Today's smiles are 2 days late because on 15th August it was exactly 8 years since we lost one of our teenage children. Hopefully we'll be back to our own new normal next month. 


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