An Unexpected Smile – #WeeklySmile

#WeeklySmile 1 Minute

Polar Bear and Mouse

Something yesterday in a situation where no one feels like smiling made me smile.

I woke up as there was a smell of burning fuel in the air, I was not too sure if my imagination was playing tricks on me as burning fuel had been present in my dream. I was about to wake S to see what actions to take when our neighbour knocked on the door, I woke S who opened to two firemen. My intuition had me right. I immediately got dressed and took little one into my arms who half asleep grabbed her polar bear and her mouse. I was touched by this gesture.
Polar Bear and MouseIt turned out that we did not have to leave our apartment as the fire was next door in a car dealership and mechanic. The second time the firemen came back to check on our apartment we had already decided that maybe it would be best to leave because smoke fumes are not good for anyone especially for toddlers with a cold. We just took our time to get ready and dress appropriately. Thankfully my parents live about 300m away. We left without the bear and the mouse, knowing that they would be safe, and little one knew from our calm that everything would be alright. (I will probably post about it again in the next few days)

So what made me smile in the early hours of the morning, while confronted once again by probably my biggest trauma, was that my daughter stayed calm, did not cry but had the reflex to gather her most prised possessions. It made me think of the Sherlock Holmes story where he says that a single woman grabs her jewellery, a married one her baby.

Have you ever smiled in a situation when smiling was the least likely thing to do? How have you been surprised by children’s behaviour, been lead to smile?

This is my first participation in the #WeeklySmile hosted by Trent McDonald, I initially planned to write about something completely different. Ok the initial story was going to mention the car dealership next door… 

© Solveig Werner 2016. All rights reserved.

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26 thoughts on “An Unexpected Smile – #WeeklySmile”

  1. I’m glad it ended up OK and that you were able to find something to smile about! Yes, always be sure to look after your prized possessions first, particularly if those “possessions” are living and might not be able to take care of themselves! I’m sure the bear and mouse are living in her imagination 🙂 Children can be very astute.

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    1. Thank you Trent. She absolutely loves those two because she can pronounce them… I remember how attached I was to my stuffed animal who was a true friend during my childhood.

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    1. It was, I am glad that the firemen were quickly there and that they were able to control the fire quickly, I did read yesterday that it had the potential to be a very big fire and that they were relieved that they could keep it from spreading.

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  3. It does take being calm to think straight and appreciate the positives, doesnt it. Thanks for sharing. Am happy you and family were safe.

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  6. My wife makes, amongst other things, amazing patchwork quilts. When she’s in the middle of one she treats it like a baby. When our second child appeared and I was abroad a fair bit she always joked that until they could both walk her dilemma was which to save alongside the quilt in progress. Fortunately this we never tested! Glad you are all safe.

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    1. Oh, I think the motherly instincts would have taken over… From experience I can say we take who we love and who needs our assistance and the things we will need, such as keys. When I was at Uni there was a fire in my flat and I was the only one who thought of the keys, which were more than necessary for the firemen to access the fire…

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  7. I’ve done this- smile in an unusual moment and I know what you mean. I think if we make looking for the positive a habit, our brain will automatically do it for all scenarios!

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    1. I think I might be someone always on the lookout for the positive.
      I just clicked on your name, but I am automatically brought to your old website and not your new home, you might want to change that in your Gravatar (a lot of people don’t like clicking their way around, at least that’s what I have seen).

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    1. Me too, I just heard from a neighbour that it could have been far worse. I am still not over the shock, actually I think the state of shock has not quite arrived yet…
      When they make us smile all we want to do is hug and kiss them 🙂

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  9. I can’t say I’ve run into this type of scenario myself, but it has often crossed my mind what item I would grab if there was a fire or a tornado and I had only moments to grab one thing. Well, to be honest, my pets are first. Yet, after that, the thing I would grab would be a baby blanket from when I was small. Silly, right? Yet, that’s the only thing that really takes precedence in my mind and perhaps it’s because it’s the only thing that can’t be replaced. Well, that and the French and Dutch bibles my father passed down to me recently. Those would definitely be next because they’re family heirlooms.

    Sorry, rambling. Not the question you asked, but I can’t quite remember when I smile when I’m not supposed to. Perhaps the most often I see this is when someone gets hurt. They get hurt in a funny way and you can’t help but smile at it even though you know you shouldn’t. Haha! I’ve actually smiled at myself for getting hurt in funny (or stupid) ways. :p Life’s easier that way, isn’t it?

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    1. From experience (I was once woken by a fire in my apartment in University housing and now this time) is that we take what is in our reach, and if you are a parent you take your kids. Actually your brain puts itself into auto pilot, get out and take the living beings we need to protect with you! My advice is: do take your keys.

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      1. Haha! I had this happen(not a fire), but a tornado siren was going off and I was already in bed. My phone started blaring at me (because they’re all hooked into the local network). I grabbed pants, a jacket, a bra, shoes, and keys and booked it to the basement. So, I definitely agree that our brains go into auto-pilot, auto-organizing what’s more important to us.

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  13. Solveig, I’m not sure about smiling in difficult situations but I can remember situations with fire alarms.
    Years ago when I was a uni student backpacking around Tasmania during the Summer break, I was staying at the backpackers in Launceston when the fire alarm went in the middle of the night. Well, I can assure you I was packed and out of that place in a flash. Meanwhile, almost all of the other backpackers didn’t move. A few years later, a devastating fire swept through a backpackers in Queensland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childers_Palace_Backpackers_Hostel_fire
    Sometimes, I can be over-vigilant but better safe than sorry.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

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    1. I will be writing about fire in a few days…
      And my smiles were more than absent this Saturday, no way that I could do a coffee share (ok we had friends over while cars were being burned in the street)… I am still freaking out and cannot fathom how I will manage next Saturday. If I have time today or tomorrow there will be a post about Saturday…

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I won't bite, seriously!

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