Before every article I write, I go through an extensive brainstorming process. It usually starts with figuring out what Spotify playlist I want to listen to, then I chug something with a lot of caffeine and force myself to sit in front of my computer until an idea pops into my head. If I’m still struggling after a half hour, I usually head to any credible news site. This week, I did just that; but I found inspiration in a different way than I thought I would.
As I scrolled through Google World News, I found myself getting more and more stressed out. Every article that I skimmed through was filled with such negativity and violence that I had to shut my computer down and take a break from my brainstorming process. And that’s when it hit me … Instead of picking some dismal event and giving my opinion on it, I was going to do just the opposite.
While it is important to stay up to date on the issues that our world is facing, it is also crucial for your mental state to hear about the positive. So, here it is – a list of things to make you smile and to remind you that good things happen too!
1. Watching this woman find out that she's officially a grandmother is 100% guaranteed to make you smile. This woman's daughter, Laura Dell, knew the best way to tell her mother that her adoption went through was to simply bring the baby girl to her office. Also adopted as a baby, this new grandmother could not hold in her tears as she was introduced to her granddaughter, and frankly, neither could I.
2. Imagine walking to school every morning and being forced to drag your feet through polluted sewage and filth. I couldn't, and neither could seventeen year old, Eshan Balbale.
Eshan couldn't watch these young children struggle just to get to school everyday, so he came up with the idea to build a bridge for them. In just eight days he built a bridge, but it's structure will positively affect the lives of the children in his town forever. I'd like to take this time to thank this young boy for what he did. There aren't many people today that would drop everything to help their community for free; but Eshan did, and that says quite a bit about his character.
3. Two years ago, Stephanie Doris wasn't a pit bull person - she actually wasn't even a dog person. Then, she stumbled upon, Nana, a severely abused pit bull that was in desperate need of a home. Nana was guessed to have had nearly fifteen litters of puppies in her life, and was so violently abused that her previous owners had removed both of her ears. Though she is now deaf, she is a part of a happy family that treats her like a queen. Just look at that smile!
4.Though it happened ten years ago, the effects of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt in the areas that it hit. It was a scary time for the South Eastern US, but out of this comes a story that will truly make you smile. After Air Force Veteran, Mike Maroney, rescued a three year old girl from the storm of the century, they went their separate ways and it seems like that is where the story should stop; but it wasn't over for Mike. After what seemed like an endless search, he finally found the now thirteen year old girl that he saved.
5. Now, just imagine if this man was your principal! With a new song and dance routine every morning, Gary Logan puts a smile on all of his students faces; even the parents get a laugh out of it too! I've always hated waking up at the crack of dawn to get to school on time, but if I was greeted with something like this, I think I could learn to love it. It's little things like this that can change a persons day, and I have to thank Mr. Logan for doing just that.
