Good News: Things to smile about this week, January 17, 2021

By Nanci Dixon
In the midst of an abundance of bad news – rising COVID numbers, unemployment, evictions, homelessness and hunger – some good news stories still bubble to the surface.

We find ourselves mostly posting bad, sad or frustrating news in our Sunday newsletter. It’s not our fault, of course, but we want to make sure you come here and smile too. That’s why we’re bringing you this “Good News” column.

“LET KINDNESS AND TRUTH NOT LEAVE YOU.” —Proverbs 22.17

Thanks so much to Ted C. for sending us this heartwarming Good News story:

A “MITZVAH” FROM THE HEART OF A 12-YEAR-OLD

A mitzvah in the Jewish tradition is a good deed done with no expectations just because it is the right thing to do. When Evelyn Topper in San Rafael, California, lost her wallet with her cash, credit cards and medical cards she didn’t have much hope of seeing it again. A homeless man, Sean Curry, found the wallet, intact except for the cash, in a dumpster and contacted Evelyn. Sean said he returned it because “I have a heart and that was the way I was brought up.” Evelyn praised his good dead as a “Mitzvah”.

Evelyn’s granddaughter, Mikayla, was already planning her 12th birthday party, a socially distanced drive-by celebration. She had asked for no presents but rather contributions to a charity.

She then set up at her party, with party favors, balloons and her own Mitzvah, a donation basket with Sean Curry’s picture. She knew Curry, homeless for five years, certainly needed and deserved the several hundred dollars of her birthday money and was happy to present it to him.

“IF YOU THINK OF A WAY TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS, THERE’S MOST LIKELY A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.” -Brian Alldridge

CREATING A PILL BOTTLE FOR AN ATHLETE WITH PARKINSON’S

TikTok Users Rally to Help Elite Athlete with Parkinson’s: They’re building a pill bottle that’s easier to use with shaky hands.
by u/canrebuildhim in goodnews

Jimmy Choi has run more than a dozen marathons, competed on American Ninja Warrior, and holds a world record for push-ups and burpees. He also has Parkinson’s disease. He has been battling Parkinson’s since 2003. Choi has a TikTok account with 150,000 followers where he routinely posts videos of his workouts. In December, he posted a video showing how hard it is to open a pill bottle and select a small pill for people with Parkinson’s.

Brian Alldridge saw the video, got to work and quickly posted his own TikTok video presenting a pill bottle he designed to open easily and printed on a 3D printer for Jimmy. He posted the video and asked if anyone wanted the files to print a prototype. Thousands responded. They printed one, tested it, and sent it to Choi to test.

They are now on the 5th prototype and hope to be able to provide the pill bottle to all who need it in the near future.

“THE ENVIRONMENT IS WHERE WE ALL MEET; WHERE ALL HAVE A MUTUAL INTEREST; IT IS THE ONE THING ALL OF US SHARE.” —Lady Bird Johnson

U.K.’S FIRST GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT

Cornwall, the proposed site of the United Kingdom’s first geothermal plant, United Downs Plant, is set to become fully operational within the next 12 months. Ecotricity, a local energy company, has signed a deal to supply energy to up to 10,000 homes in the area.

Geothermal energy is created by mixing water and sending it down to two wells. One of those wells is three miles deep and it passes through the Porthtowan fault and red hot water and granite rocks. This is a method that does not rely on wind for turbines or the sun for solar. Admittedly, sun in Cornwall is a bit iffy. Geothermal is continually running and there is a huge amount of energy under the surface.

While in the early days of the project, United Downs Plant shows great promise for the nation.

“I LOVE YOU BEGINS BY I, BUT IT ENDS UP BY YOU.” —Charles de Leusse

LOVE – PASS IT AROUND ONE ORDER AT A TIME

In these days that have been trying for everyone and not necessarily filled with love for one another, a Wendy’s manager in Oak Harbor, Washington, has been spreading the love, one take-out order at a time.

April DiDonna got the idea to just say “I love you” to a customer in the drive-through in October. The customer wrote about it positively in a review, so April decided to keep saying it. The second day after she said “I love you” to one woman, the woman was found crying in her car, grateful to be told the simple words “I love you” after both her husband and brother had recently died.

April is keeping track whenever anyone says “I love you” back. By the end of December more than 2,500 people had responded. Now, sometimes before she even says anything the customer says “I love you.”

“IF I KNOW WHAT LOVE IS, IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU.” —Hermann Hesse

A WEDDING FILLED WITH LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING. WHAT A GREAT BEGINNING!

This groom surprised his new bride by having her students with Down syndrome be the ring bearers at their wedding (not sure if this has been posted before but I just had to share)
by u/screenshotofdispair in aww

NOTE: This video is pre-Covid and not a super spreader event.

“IN ORDER TO REALLY ENJOY A DOG, ONE DOESN’T MERELY  TRY TO TRAIN HIM TO BE SEMI-HUMAN. THE POINT OF IT IS TO OPEN ONESELF TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING PARTLY A DOG.” —Edward Hoagland

JOY COMES IN MANY FORMS – FOR THIS DOG IT IS A PUDDLE

[deleted by user]
by in aww

SOMEONE IS SLEEPING IN MY BED

Wow! This is amazing restraint!

NOT TO LEAVE OUT OUR BIRD FRIENDS

Wish I could fall asleep that easily!

Yeah…that’s the spot 🦉
by in aww

Wishing everyone a safe and happy week. See you next week!

Read last week’s Good News here.

Hear a “Good News” story? Please use the form below to tell us about it. Include a website or link to a video. Thanks!

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