Edgar Albert Guest

Take Home a Smile ~ A Poem by Edgar Albert Guest

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Why Edgar Albert Guest’s “Take Home a Smile” Is the Ultimate Burnout Cure We Need Today

We’ve all done it: walked through the front door after a brutal day, only to dump our stress right onto the people we love most.

Take Home a Smile

Edgar Albert Guest

Take home a smile; forget the petty cares,
The dull, grim grind of all the day’s affairs;
The day is done, come be yourself awhile:
To-night, to those who wait, take home a smile.

Take home a smile; don’t scatter grief and gloom
Where laughter and light hearts should always bloom;
What though you’ve traveled many a dusty mile,
Footsore and weary, still take home a smile.

Take home a smile — it is not much to do,
But much it means to them who wait for you;
You can be brave for such a little while;
The day of doubt is done — take home a smile.

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Reflection

Edgar Albert Guest’s “Take Home a Smile” serves as a gentle but urgent wake-up call for the modern professional. Written in an era of physical labor, its core message strikes an even deeper chord in our current landscape of digital fatigue, hyper-connectivity, and chronic burnout. Guest isn’t asking us to practice toxic positivity or suppress genuine grief; rather, he is advocating for intentional emotional boundaries.

In contemporary life, the line between our “grim grind” and our personal sanctuaries has completely blurred due to remote work and smartphones. We routinely bring the “dusty miles” of our professional frustrations into our living rooms. Guest reminds us that our loved ones deserve our presence, not just our emotional leftovers. Taking home a smile is an act of quiet resilience—a deliberate choice to leave the weight of the workplace at the doorstep so that “laughter and light hearts” can actually bloom. It is a minor effort that yields a massive return for our relationships.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

Are you giving your best energy to your colleagues and clients, only to give your emotional exhaustion to the people who wait for you at home?

Be Grateful ~ A Poem by Edgar Albert Guest

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Cultivating Joy: Why Edgar Albert Guest’s “Be Grateful” is the Antidote to Modern Burnout

In a world dominated by notifications, hustle culture, and the endless pursuit of the next big thing, we rarely stop to notice the grass beneath our feet. Edgar Albert Guest’s poem, “Be Grateful,” serves as a gentle but urgent wake-up call for the modern soul.

Be Grateful

Edgar Albert Guest

Be grateful for the kindly friends that walk along your way;
Be grateful for the skies of blue that smile from day to day;
Be grateful for the health you own, the work you find to do,
For round about you there are men less fortunate than you.

Be grateful for the growing trees, the roses soon to bloom,
The tenderness of kindly hearts that shared your days of gloom;
Be grateful for the morning dew, the grass beneath your feet,
The soft caresses of your babes and all their laughter sweet.

Acquire the grateful habit, learn to see how blest you are,
How much there is to gladden life, how little life to mar!
And what if rain shall fall to-day and you with grief are sad;
Be grateful that you can recall the joys that you have had.

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Reflection

Guest’s poem is a masterclass in grounding oneself. Written in an era simpler than our own, its core message feels radically necessary today. He shifts our focus away from what we lack and directs it toward the abundance already present: friendship, nature, health, and family.

In contemporary life, we are conditioned to constantly look forward, which often breeds anxiety and discontent. Guest challenges this by urging us to “acquire the grateful habit.” This isn’t toxic positivity or ignoring life’s hardships; rather, it is a deliberate mental pivot. Even when the metaphorical “rain” falls and grief takes over, the poem reminds us that our past joys remain a permanent sanctuary.

Applying this today means unplugging from the digital noise to appreciate the “morning dew” or the laughter of loved ones. Gratitude becomes an act of rebellion against a culture that thrives on our dissatisfaction. By practicing the perspective Guest champions, we find that life has far more to gladden us than to mar us.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

Which ordinary, easily overlooked detail of your day-to-day routine are you taking for granted right now, and how can you actively honor it today?

See it Through ~ A Poem by Edgar Albert Guest

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Overcoming Modern Anxiety: The Timeless Grit of Edgar Albert Guest’s “See It Through”

See it Through

Edgar Albert Guest

When you’re up against a trouble,
      Meet it squarely, face to face;
    Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
      Plant your feet and take a brace.
    When it’s vain to try to dodge it,
      Do the best that you can do;
    You may fail, but you may conquer,
      See it through!

    Black may be the clouds about you
    And your future may seem grim,
  But don’t let your nerve desert you;
    Keep yourself in fighting trim.
  If the worst is bound to happen,
    Spite of all that you can do,
  Running from it will not save you,
    See it through!

  Even hope may seem but futile,
    When with troubles you’re beset,
  But remember you are facing
    Just what other men have met.
  You may fail, but fall still fighting;
    Don’t give up, whate’er you do;
  Eyes front, head high to the finish.
    See it through!

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Reflection

Edgar Albert Guest’s “See It Through” serves as a timeless anthem for the human spirit, capturing the raw essence of resilience. Written in an era of different socio-economic shifts, its core message remains strikingly urgent today. Guest isn’t offering toxic positivity; he acknowledges that failure is a distinct possibility. Instead, his focus is on posture—both physical and mental—demanding that we face our tribulations with “eyes front, head high.”

In our contemporary society, we are constantly bombarded by a 24-hour news cycle, economic unpredictability, and the curated perfection of social media. This modern landscape breeds a unique brand of anxiety, often tempting us to digitally detach or completely avoid our problems. However, Guest reminds us that “running from it will not save you.”

The poem’s ultimate power lies in its call to collective history: “remember you are facing / Just what other men have met.” Our current struggles are not unprecedented. By choosing grit over avoidance, we reclaim our agency. Whether navigating personal burnout or global uncertainty, the mandate remains to plant our feet, brace for the storm, and actively engage with our reality.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

What is the “black cloud” in your life right now that you have been trying to dodge, and what is one small way you can face it squarely today?

Life ~ A Poem by Edgar Albert Guest

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Life’s No Dress Rehearsal—So Belt Out the Ballad, Dance Through the Drama, and Frost Your Cake With Joy. Dive into Edgar Albert Guest’s stirring poem Life, a timeless reminder that while grief may knock, joy still sings. This post explores how laughter, perseverance, and soulful choices shape the lives we live.

Life

Edgar Albert Guest

Life is a jest;
  Take the delight of it.
Laughter is best;
  Sing through the night of it.
Swiftly the tear
  And the hurt and the ache of it
Find us down here;
  Life must be what we make of it.

Life is a song;
  Let us dance to the thrill of it.
Grief’s hours are long,
  And cold is the chill of it.
Joy is man’s need;
  Let us smile for the sake of it.
This be our creed:
  Life must be what we make of it.

Life is a soul;
  The virtue and vice of it.
Strife for a goal,
  And man’s strength is the price of it.
Your life and mine,
  The bare bread and the cake of it,
End in this line:
  Life must be what we make of it.

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Reflection:

Edgar Guest invites us into life’s full theater—where comedy, tragedy, and soulful striving share the same stage. In just three stanzas, he reminds us that tears are real, but so is laughter, and while pain can linger, joy is essential. His refrain, “Life must be what we make of it,” isn’t just advice—it’s a challenge to create meaning, to choose beauty, and to craft a life that sings even in minor chords.

🧐 Three Questions to Deepen the Reader’s Experience:

  1. Which line from the poem echoes your current stage of life—the laughter, the ache, the goal, or the creed?
  2. If “life must be what we make of it,” what’s one deliberate change you could make today to shape your life more intentionally?
  3. How does the interplay between joy and grief in the poem mirror your own experience of resilience?

New Podcast: Driving Trail Ridge Road and What It Taught Me About the Grieving Journey

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What do a dizzying mountain road and the journey through grief have in common? In this episode, Ray shares a harrowing drive across Trail Ridge Road—the highest continuous paved road in North America—and how the experience mirrors the unpredictable, breath-stealing terrain of grief. With wit, heart, and the poetic strength of Edgar Albert Guest’s See It Through, you’ll be reminded that no matter how treacherous the climb, healing is not only possible—it’s inevitable. Pull over, take a breath, and get ready to feel seen. This is the episode your heart didn’t know it needed.

🔑 5 Salient Points:

  • Grief can feel like altitude sickness—sudden, disorienting, and difficult to breathe through, much like the thin air on Trail Ridge Road.
  • Rest areas matter—just like scenic pullouts on a steep drive, we need emotional space to pause, reflect, and regain our balance.
  • Lack of guardrails = emotional risk—there are moments in grief when we feel vulnerable and unsupported, yet we keep moving forward.
  • Perspective is healing—stepping back to see the “view” of our grief journey helps us realize how far we’ve come.
  • Grief is survivable—like cresting a mountain summit, there comes a day when you can look back and say with quiet strength, “I made it.”

All For the Best ~ Edgar Albert Guest

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All For the Best

Edgar Albert Guest

Things mostly happen for the best.
However hard it seems to-day,
When some fond plan has gone astray
Or what you’ve wished for most is lost
An’ you sit countin’ up the cost
With eyes half-blind by tears o’ grief
While doubt is chokin’ out belief,
You’ll find when all is understood
That what seemed bad was really good.

Life can’t be counted in a day.
The present rain that will not stop
Next autumn means a bumper crop.
We wonder why some things must be–
Care’s purpose we can seldom see–
An’ yet long afterwards we turn
To view the past, an’ then we learn
That what once filled our minds with doubt
Was good for us as it worked out.

I’ve never known an hour of care
But that I’ve later come to see
That it has brought some joy to me.
Even the sorrows I have borne,
Leavin’ me lonely an’ forlorn
An’ hurt an’ bruised an’ sick at heart,
In life’s great plan have had a part.
An’ though I could not understand
Why I should bow to Death’s command,
As time went on I came to know
That it was really better so.

Things mostly happen for the best.
So narrow is our vision here
That we are blinded by a tear
An’ stunned by every hurt an’ blow
Which comes to-day to strike us low.
An’ yet some day we turn an’ find
That what seemed cruel once was kind.
Most things, I hold, are wisely planned
If we could only understand.

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Today’s Poem: On Quitting by Edgar Albert Guest

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On Quitting

Edgar Albert Guest

How much grit do you think you’ve got?
Can you quit a thing that you like a lot?
You may talk of pluck; it’s an easy word,
And where’er you go it is often heard;
But can you tell to a jot or guess
Just how much courage you now possess?
You may stand to trouble and keep your grin,
But have you tackled self-discipline?
Have you ever issued commands to you
To quit the things that you like to do,
And then, when tempted and sorely swayed,
Those rigid orders have you obeyed?

Don’t boast of your grit till you’ve tried it out,
Nor prate to men of your courage stout,
For it’s easy enough to retain a grin
In the face of a fight there’s a chance to win,
But the sort of grit that is good to own
Is the stuff you need when you’re all alone.
How much grit do you think you’ve got?
Can you turn from joys that you like a lot?
Have you ever tested yourself to know
How far with yourself your will can go?
If you want to know if you have grit,
Just pick out a joy that you like, and quit.

It’s bully sport and it’s open fight;
It will keep you busy both day and night;
For the toughest kind of a game you’ll find
Is to make your body obey your mind.
And you never will know what is meant by grit
Unless there’s something you’ve tried to quit.

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