An online critic tutored me and provided lots of advice and guidance. The results speak for itself. This was a powerful and humbling learning experience. It was well worth it.

Original

Today is another sunny day in a string of sunny days. Sunny days always give me hope—hope that everything will turn out, hope for the future, a future in which happiness will be the norm, a future in which everyone is treated with kindness and love.

Transformation

During a string of cloudless, warm days, people on the sidewalk are transformed from walking like dour robots with lost looks into warm individuals whose eyes sparkle and whose stride has a noticeable bounce. Each time a passerby smiles at me, I instinctively return the smile. Each smile feels like a warm embrace, pulling me out of my daydreams. I'm gently brought back to the present moment. These shared acts of kindness dissolve the barriers between us in our daily social interactions.