Bill's Smile

After yesterday, I needed a little encouragement. Often where I go to find it is in my Uganda photots. The strength of the Ugandan people gives me strength. I want to share with you excerpts from a story I wrote in 2007 about a little boy who brightens my day in the simplest of ways. Here is Bill's story:


This is Bill.

Some people might say Bill is just another kid with long, skinny legs and dark chocolate eyes that match his skin. But they're wrong. Bill is so much more than that.

I first heard about Bill the same way anybody hears about anyone for the first time: my dad. After my dad went to Uganda for the first time, he brought back pictures of Bill, and he said to me, "Everyone just loves Bill." And I could see why.

Bill has what some might call a "million dollar smile." When Bill smiles, you can see pure joy in his eyes, like Christmas morning.

But a picture can't tell his whole story. A picture can't talk like Bill. It can't dance or play the drum like Bill. It can't sing like Bill. It can't giggle like Bill. And believe it or not, it can't even smile like Bill.

His smile is wide enough to cover all of Africa.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of smiles in my life, but of all the smiles in the world, no one smiles quite like Bill.

- Aly