In a chaotic and uncertain world, it helps to remember that good things are happening around us all the time. We think it’s important to pay attention to the good stuff. Here’s a roundup of uplifting stories to cheer your heart.
Groom left paralyzed by accident gets help from dad and brother in touching wedding dance
Hugo Rohling and Cynthia Zanuni of Brazil have gone viral after this incredibly heartwarming video of their first dance as a couple hit the Internet. Rohling, who uses a wheelchair since a motorcycle accident five years ago left him paralyzed, received a helping hand from his dad and brother when it came time for the big dance. Now, that’s what we call a supportive family.
Roger Waters of Pink Floyd helps reunite a mother with her sons who had been living in a Syrian refugee camp
Felicia Perkins-Ferreira of Trinidad had not seen her sons since they were abducted in 2014 by her then-husband and taken to Syria, where he fought for the Islamic State. The boys’ father is presumed to have died in the fighting in 2017, but before then, he had sent the children along with their stepmother toward Turkey, for safety, as the coalition forces closed in. They were found on a roadside, so traumatized that they could not even remember their mother’s name. A human rights lawyer named Clive Stafford Smith heard of their plight and spoke with his friend, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, who was so moved by Perkins-Ferreira’s story that he volunteered to help. He flew to Trinidad to pick her up in his private jet before heading on to Syria where the boys and their mother enjoyed a tearful reunion. Waters says he could barely contain his relief.
Police officer catches young men in the act…of being helpful to elderly couple
Officer Kenesha Carnegie of the Levy County Sheriff’s Office in Bronson, Florida spotted three young men as they assisted Rose Griest, 89 and her husband David, 100, into their vehicle. The couple had stopped to use the restroom at a gas station after a medical appointment. Carnegie recognized the men, rappers known as Joc Koe Stoe, Marty, and Freddy G, from the neighborhood. The trio had been buying snacks inside the convenience store when they noticed the Griests struggling. They didn’t think twice about heading over the help. Carnegie witnessed the interaction and asked if it would be all right for her to record them. “It was a beautiful thing to see,” Carnegie told Yahoo! News. “I know these men from the neighborhood, and I wanted them to have that moment to show who they really are.”
A kind dispatcher responds to 911 call from little boy who was having a bad day
Antonia Bundy of the Lafayette Police Department in Indiana was surprised to get a call for help from a young boy who needed help because he was just having one of those days. “Hi, can you hear me?” he says. “I just had a really bad day, and uh, I just came here to tell you that.” Instead of being impatient (911, of course, is for emergencies), Bundy engages him in conversation. What follows is a totally heartwarming exchange (listen to the audio below) that Lafayette PD went on to share on their Twitter feed, though they do caution against using 911 for homework assistance.
Our dispatchers never know what the next call might be.They train for many emergency situations, homework help is not one they plan for. We don’t recommend 911 for homework help but this dispatcher helped a young boy out and brightened his day.@PoliceOne @apbweb @wlfi @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/w3qCYfJP7O
— LafayetteINPolice (@LafayetteINPD) January 25, 2019
Hold everything – the Hallmark Channel just announced they’ll be airing Christmas movies ALL YEAR LONG
From the Hallmark Channel’s Facebook page: “To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Countdown to Christmas we’ve got holiday movies on Hallmark Channel every Friday night all year long!” So, basically, our Friday nights for the rest of the year are planned. We are one hundred percent here for cozy, holiday-themed goodness we can enjoy from the comfort of our couch.
Stephanie
Good news needs to be spread! Thank you for letting it be known about the good that’s being done, because that’s as noteworthy, and even more important to see, as the negative that we’re bombarded with everywhere else.