Smile

"He forced himself to smile- not out of pleasure, and not out of satisfaction. He smiled despite the grief he felt at the deaths of his men; he smiled because that whas what he did. That was how he proved to the Lord Ruler- and to himself- that he wasn't beaten. No, he wasn't going to walk away. He wasn't finished yet. Not by far."

-Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn, The Final Empire.

This one gives me chills every time. It's from one of my favorite books, and is written by my favorite author of all time. (If you haven't read something by Brandon Sanderson yet you are missing out!)

Smiling is so often viewed as a naieve, gentle gesture. Few realize that those who smile the most often are also those with trauma. Smiling is used as a coping gesture- a way to remain strong for the benifit of those around you. To see this reflected so eloquently in fantasy is incredible.