Story from Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul..

SMILE..

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a riend
and wrote him a thank-you letter.
The friend was so pleased with the thank-you
that he left a large tip after lunch
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
bet the whole thing on a hunch.
The next day she picked up her winnings,
and gave part to a man on the street.
That man on the street was grateful;
for two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
he left for his small dingy room.
(He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom)
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
and took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
to be in, out of the storm.
That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked 'til he woke the whole household
and saved everybody from harm.
One of the boys that he rescued
grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
that hadn't cost a cent.


-Barbara Hauck, age 13






PAINT BRUSH..

I keep my paint brush with me
Wherever I may go,
In case I need to cover up
So the real me doesn't show.
I'm so afraid to show you me,
Afraid of what you'll do that
You might laugh or say mean things.
I'm afraid I might lose you.


I'd like to remove all my paint coats
To show you that real, true me,
But I want you to try and understand,
I need you to accept what you see.
So if you'll be patient and close your eyes,
I'll strip off all my coats real slow.
Please understand how much it hurts
To let the real me show.


Now my coats are all stripped off.
I feel naked, bare and cold,
And if you still love me with all that you see,
You are my friend, pure as gold.


I need to save my paint brush, though,
And hold it in my hand,
I want to keep it handy
In case somebody doesn't understand.
So please protect me, my dear friend
And thanks for loving me true,
But please let me keep my paint brush with me
Until I love me, too.


-Bettie B. Youngs