I love my family -- my kids and my grandkids. I'm not only cheering them in their race of life but squeezing my encouragement into them for whatever they might be facing next. After all, we are all running our own races in life and need all the encouragement we can get.
I recall a runner passing me once at the end of a marathon. Both of us attempted to smile at each other but physically we couldn't. The best we could manage was a head nod in acknowledgement of each other's existence. Life is like that at times. All you can manage is an audible grunting noise. But you keep on going. You have to. I've heard marathoners say, "Fake it till you make it," meaning if you act like a marathoner long enough you might just eventually become one. And the best part of all is that we can be there for each other.
Friend, your family needs you. They need your smile and your words of encouragement. Even if you offer nothing more than an audible grunt today, offer it to them in love.