~~~~~~~~~~

Your smile, my friend,
Reflects your heart;
And in that mirror
I can see
The ways in which
You've graced my life:
The peace and joy
You've given me.

From day to day,
Nothing so surely defines
The quality of our lives
As the unwavering affirmation in the eyes,
In the voices,
In the presence of our friends.
It is through them
That we truly begin to know ourselves;
And it is their affection
That assures our dignity and worth.

- by Robert Sexton