Listen to this when
I Smile
Smiling through it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Sometimes it's just how you remind yourself you're still standing. 🙏🏾
Who it's for
For listeners who draw on faith, the song works as spiritual coping: it reframes a hard season through trust and gratitude, a form of positive reappraisal.
Feelings it meets
What it is
"I Smile" is an upbeat urban gospel song by Kirk Franklin, released in February 2011 as the first single from his album Hello Fear. Franklin has described it as a declaration that he will not let his feelings dictate how he lives and will instead live by his faith. Its bridge borrows from the S.O.S. Band's "Tell Me If You Still Care" and Little Feat's "Fool Yourself" as familiar R&B touchpoints. It reached No.
Where to find it
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music (widely available).
Before you start
Age: All ages
I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland or my church:James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Chapter V
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