I Think I Lost My Smile

A story all in rhyme, discusses the sadness a young boy feels when he moves to a new home, and how he finds his smile again.

“My family, consisting of me, Linda, my husband, John, and our two daughters, Erica and Elizabeth, had lived a fairly normal, middle-class life until Two-Twelve.That is, February 12, 2002. We were happy. No doubt about it. We're still very happy, but one of us doesn't live here anymore. She was taken to heaven quite suddenly, one bright sunny Tuesday morning. She was our first baby girl. Erica Lin Davis was born on Thursday, December 5, 1985. Exactly one week after Thanksgiving, and exactly on time, according to my due date. She and Walt Disney shared the same birthday, something she always thought was very cool. The evening she was born, the doctor gave orders that sent me onto a cold, hard x-ray table. Even though I was sedated, I knew something must be wrong. She was turned the wrong way. But a few prayers, and a little while later she decided to turn around and enter the world head first, causing no trouble. Whenever that topic came up in conversation, as the years went by, she would proudly say, "I was such a smart baby." A statement she knew would always make me smile. She was not only a smart baby, but continued to increase in knowledge until she became an intelligent young woman, only sweet sixteen. She lived a healthy, active life, full of fun, accomplishments, and adventure. I know, because most of the time I was right by her side. I made the decision to be a stay-at-home mom before she was born, then was blessed by God and a wonderful husband to remain that all of her life. A life that enriched mine continually and stole my heart. Erica was driving to school when she was instantly killed in an automobile accident. She was trying to make a left-hand turn onto the highway, and the police officer told me he believed the sun was in her eyes. She never saw the other car coming. A day or two later, while a visitor was in our home, the local news came on. Unexpectedly, Erica's accident was the lead story. They told how a popular teenage girl had lost her life in a car accident while her smashed car was shown being towed away. We hadn't seen the car yet, and I noticed how her turn signal was still flashing. "My good girl," I thought, "always following every rule." The image of her car didn't cause me to cry uncontrollably as my mind was rationalizing at the time it should. Instead, I couldn't help but think, "I wonder if I'll see her bumper sticker." I hoped I would, but didn't. I think she would have liked everyone to have seen it on TV. Just a few weeks before, she had bought and plastered on the clever yellow sticker. It looked like a sheet of notebook paper and read, "As long as there are tests, there WILL be prayer in schools!" She was such a smart baby. Taking my mind to another place, instead of dwelling on the image before me, was just one of the many incredible blessings that God so lovingly gave me. Incredible, because some of them came even before the accident took place, as I would later discover.”