Karen Winkleman:  

Life I had prviously written a bio, and then realized upon reading it months later that it really was not what I really am. A biography is of one's accomplishments and mine are still in draft. Each day is a new page of a new chapter. Only as I get older, I tend to want to write a little slower and not reach the end of the book because there is still so much to do, and am no where near the end of the book! (It may be a thick book, folks)! Seriously, my decision as to how my life would be spent started the first day in high school when someone shared a smile with me, a stranger, new to the school. And, as a senior, new to CMR, again, someone came up to me and shared a smile with a very unhappy girl who had just moved to Great Falls and,was new, at the worst year of all, her "senior year". That smile given so freely helped me tremendously. I will never forget that smile and because of it have based my life around that smile. Nursing was my occupation, my love, especially in the field of trauma, oncology, and drug rehab. Besides knowing your educational skills, it takes faith, compassion, love, and a smile that never leaves your face for the patient and the family. Many times I was asked did I ever not smile? To which I would joke "you would have to turn me upside down to turn this smile into a frown". Everything I have accomplished has been through faith, hard work and against all odds. But I knew that it was a passion to be able to help the sick, the hungry, the hurting, the grieving, and the forgotten. I was one of those as I grew up, and school was the only place I would see a smile. My home life was what you hear about on television in this day and age. But I know that there are so many out there like me who are not caving in to temptation, but are plowing through temptations, knowing they will make something of themselves, and then turn around and help others. I heard once that "it is not yours to keep until you give it back in abundance". So while I do have a lovely family, and grandchildren, I have worked long and hard in the medical field and loved every minute of it. Holidays I cook enough for an army, and after the holiday meal, we gather up folding tables, disposable table ware, and go into the areas of Miami that "one never goes to" and set up the tables and feed the street people buffet style and recieve more blessings in one day than one could hope for in a year. The children, now grown, still talk to this day about it, and will pass this to their children when they are old enough. Because of my home life as a child, I knew that if I were to have children, they were to learn not by what I said, but by what I did. Because we, as parents, are a living lesson to them until we take our last breath. And, as a parent, finally, I was able to be a child again, to know what it was to play as a child, and I still do this today with my grandchildren. They absolutely love it when "Nana" comes to play with them! So another lesson learned. One never really has to look back and say they never had so and so. Just look forward and live it through your next generation. No children? Then be a foster parent for a day, or a big sister/brother. No parents? Adopt a parent for a day/adopt a grandparent for a day. Give of yourself and you will recieve back ten fold. And most importantly I have learned from that one smile. It is so contagious. It gets you through everything. It gets you through an interview. It starts everyone's day off with a smile. It affects a stranger in so many ways, that you will never know, but trust me, it altered their day for the good. And here is a thought: My smile is my biography of life. It gave hope to the suicidal, comforted the dying, soothed the physical and mentally hurting. It raised my children, stop many sibling fights, and greeted many strangers everyday. SO IF WE ALL SHARE A SMILE WITH A STRANGER, THAT WILL BECOME THE FOUNDATION FOR THE BRIDGE TO WORLD PEACE. GO DO IT CLASS OF 1966!!! Since I have written this, I am now one of the statistics...divorced, My goodness what story that would make. But I am not changing my views on life, will not lose my smile. I now live in Greensboro, NC, and work for Aetna, in the Disease Management Department. So I am blessed to have a job. I miss my children, but they came up for the holidays, and I took them to the mountains, rented a large 3/3 c...Expand for more