"The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

- Thomas Paine

I love this quote. I do like to smile a lot; I'm an optimistic person. But I love the rest of the quote, too. Because you can't smile all the time. Not every situation is smile-worthy. But every situation can be an opportunity for growth, a lesson learned, an experience from which you can gain the ability to empathize with others who will go through the same thing. Everything tests and hones our character.