Smile Because It Happened: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Smile Because It Happened is a story of the importance of family bonds and love in enriching the author's life. The book begins with the author's childhood bout with osteomyelitis- in her hip. Then she flips back in time to stories about her parents and grandparents before progressing to her childhood, followed by her marriage and their family stories. Most of pieces in the next section were written shortly after the events occurred, though they often invoked childhood memories. Letters to family members who have died are in an In Memory section. The author ends with a letter to her great-great-great grandchildren.