Once a month or so, I send out a collection of news that is uplifting, hopeful, and encouraging. Big stories in the news, plus happy updates contributed by readers like you.
Because sometimes—especially when the world feels very bleak and discouraging—you need a dose of pure joy in your life. Like a dose of medicine to get you through the weeks ahead. Something to restore your faith in humanity.
I hope that Great News can be that medicine for you.
Here is the latest installment of Great News, in no particular order...
- Great news if you enjoy silly, groan-inducing puns and jokes (I do!!): 100 jokes for kids. These jokes are clean, no cursing, and appropriate for the whole family.
- Get your Kleenex: this veterinarian donates his time to help pets who belong to people who don't currently have a house, and who are living on the street. Because every living creature, human or dog or cat or anything else, deserves respect and care.
- Time to continue crying! A dog that nobody wanted became a school's unofficial mascot and a "pandemic therapy dog" for staff and students.
- Native American Heritage Day is this Friday here in the United States. Here's an excellent article with suggestions on how to honor this important day. Educate yourself about current issues, acknowledge the land you're on, buy books written by Native American authors...and more. So many positive things you can do on Friday (and
every day).
Great news submitted by folks in our newsletter community...
- Katherine attended one of my creative writing retreats in Hawaii, a few years ago. She emailed recently with a happy update: she wrote a new book! It's called The Secret Society of Saint Nicholas and it's a re-imagining of the Santa story. The book's message: everyone has magic inside. Not just Santa Claus.
- Safiya wrote in to share: "My favourite thing that I created this year is my #WritingBlackJoy project. A writer's gallery centering, celebrating and promoting the voices of Black writers with joyful and uplifting stories." Discover more at Writing Black Joy.
- Lia emailed to say: "My husband I were in Corfu on our honeymoon and had the chance to visit an amazing organization called Corfu Donkey Rescue. It’s a non-profit that saves donkeys who have health problems due to overwork and abuse. I can’t stop thinking about how wonderful this small organization is!" Lia would like to encourage everyone to check out their “Adopt A Donkey” program. A great cause doing great work.
- Danni wrote in to share some very good news: "I was finally able to get my hand surgery that I have needed since before the pandemic started." Hooray! And, Danni's dog Obie provided comfort during the post-surgery recovery period. "So happy that my hand is finally healing, and that I have the world's goodest dog."
- Olivia emailed to share a delightful announcement: "I launched a letter press print today! I am calling it the I Am An Artist Print + Project." Well done, Olivia!
- Quiana dropped into our inbox with this good news: "After almost a year of looking, we found a house we love and our offer was accepted! No only that, but a dear friend is helping us buy it at no added cost to us. Wow. Thank Goddess!" Thank G indeed! People can be so generous and kind.
- My incredible friend Robert started a scholarship program: Project Next Gen. They bring 22 students (ages 12-18) to New York City for a week of dancing, acting, and singing classes—
all expenses paid, including housing and airfare for the student and a parent/guardian. Students train with Broadway stars, meet casting agents, and experience NYC for the first time. It's a week that forever changes their lives. Project Next Gen's mission: to provide a life-changing opportunity for BIPOC kids who dream of working in the
performing arts. You can donate and sponsor a student. I am proud to be a sponsor. GO ROBERT! What a fantastic project.
- Great news (on the personal front)...I got engaged! I have been fairly private about my personal life for the last several years, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to announce this detail publicly. But then, I decided to say something about it. Because I know there is someone out there, reading this email, who is heartbroken and grieving right now—grieving a divorce, grieving a betrayal, grieving the end of a relationship, feeling very hopeless and alone. To that person reading: I want you to know that no matter how profoundly sad you feel right now, it won't feel this way forever. The human heart is an amazingly resilient muscle. You will heal. You will become stronger than ever. You will fall in love again with a person, a project, a dog, with yourself, and perhaps all of the above. Your next
relationship won't be the same as before. It will be different. You will be different. Love always wins.
Such Great News.