Page 80 - Dash to Heaven DRAFT

rainbows, my best friend loved Koala Bears. Well...her son’s "thing" was smiley faces. He had them everywhere! He wore them on his t-shirts, had smiley-face posters on his wall, and when he worked at a local restaurant he would use olives, carrots and tomatoes to create smiley faces on customers' salads. On Styrofoam cups, he would carve a smiley face so everyone would know that cup was his. I didn’t know this fine young man well, though in hindsight, I wish I had. After learning more about his cheerful personality, I can understand why he felt a connection to smiley faces.
After some time had passed, this mom decided to attend a seminar to receive support and encouragement among other grieving parents. As she sat there, she glanced around wondering if she had made the right decision. Perhaps all these sorrowful tears and desolate energy would only worsen her feelings of loss.
Then the first speaker walked out on stage. He stood at the microphone, took a piece of notebook paper out of his pocket and began to read The Dash poem. This, in itself, would not be a grand coincidence if the young man speaking had not been donning a bright yellow smiley face t-shirt! The mother said right there she knew. She knew with certainty that this was a sign from her son reaching out to her, sending his love, and telling her that he was alright and in time, she would be, too.
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