Quote of the Day: “Those who don’t love themselves, as they are, rarely love life as it is, either.” – Rachel Naomi Remen
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
An unlikely new group of freelance employees have been added to a French workforce.
At the Puy du Fou theme park in western France, six birds have been employed to collect and dispose of garbage – mainly cigarette ends and other small pieces.
As payment for their services, the birds take the collected trash to special bins where they can receive bird food in exchange for depositing the litter.
“The park is very clean,” park president Nicolas de Villiers told NPR. “The purpose of the crows … is to educate the people, to open their minds, to think, ‘OK, the birds are able to do something that we are much more able to do than them, so we should do this by ourselves.’”
Corvids like crows, ravens, magpies, and rooks have long been observed for their startling displays of intelligence. They are one of the smartest groups of animals on earth, with remarkable problem solving, tool making, and deductive reasoning skills.
In addition to inspiring humans to pick up their trash, the clever rooks currently working at the park are pretty excited to put their wits to work.
“It became a game for them,” de Villiers says. “They pick up the papers on the floor, and they are rewarded.”
(WATCH this incredible TED talk from the man who taught crows how to use vending machines)
Fly This Story To Your Friends And Share To Social Media – Photo by Puy du Fou
Andy Corbley is the founder and editor of World At Large, a small environment, travel, and lifestyle focused journal that stresses integrity, nuance, and honesty which launched in early March 2019.
Not everyone has the fashion resources to look spiffy for an important job interview. That’s why this public library is lending out work attire.
Disadvantaged youngsters and adults who need some nicer rags for formal events can now check out certain accessories from the New York Public Library.
The library is stocked with 17 neckties and 12 different briefcases and handbags. As long as library card holders have less than $15 in fines on their account, they’re free to check out the accessories for up to 3 weeks at a time.
LOOK: Library Hangs Helpful Poster For Subjects People Might Be Embarrassed to Ask About
Additionally, the section is equipped with information sheets, tips, website recommendations, and books on job interviews, professional advice, and career guidance.
Though the library is only stocked with the accessories, there are several nonprofits operating out of New York City that can supply disadvantaged interviewers with blazers, suits, and outfits for job interviews, such as Dress for Success and Career Gear.
Currently, the library’s Grown Up accessory lending program is only running out of the Riverside location in Manhattan, but if proven successful, it may be picked up by other public libraries in the future.
Spread The Good News And Share This To Social Media – Photo by New York Public Library
When a Florida school teacher posted a plea for help on social media, his fellow educators did not hesitate to step forward.
Robert Goodman has been undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for stage three colon cancer. Since receiving the diagnosis in April, he has used all 38 of the paid leave days that he has racked up from working at Palm Beach Gardens Community High School for the last 23 years.
Anxious for the future, Goodman posted a photo to Facebook saying that he needed at least 20 more paid leave days to finish treatment without being hurt financially.
LOOK: Hundreds of People Bring Backpacks Instead of Flowers to Woman’s Funeral
Within four days, the 56-year-old educator was flooded with messages from fellow school staffers across the country saying that they wanted to donate their paid leave.
It wasn’t just teachers, either – Goodman eventually received 75 sick days from teachers, administrators, college professors, and even cafeteria workers.
“I wasn’t surprised that teachers were giving. Teachers are always giving all the time,” he told CNN. “When one of their own needs help they’ll always step up.”
Cure Your Friends Of Negativity: Share The Good News – Photo by Robert Goodman
Quote of the Day: “The act of courage calls forth, infallibly, that deeper part of ourselves that supports and sustains us.” – Steven Pressfield
Photo: by Cornelia Kopp, CC license
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Of the many epidemics of our time, a devious collection of maladies seem to be both hard to spot, and hard to treat.
Anxiety and anxiety disorders are often characterized, even as far back as the ancient Greeks, by dread, panic, and relentless worrying about things which one feels they have no control over. And while most treatment plans involve pharmaceuticals or cognitive therapy, a new song, specifically designed to aid in relieving anxiety’s grip, has produced startlingly positive results.
There have been a number of studies and surveys done on which members of our society suffer most from anxiety or anxiety disorders, with Generation Y and Millennials coming in at the top.
While observable anxiety is nothing new, 57% of young women claim to have experienced “overwhelming anxiety,” with 30% saying they suffer from panic attacks.
MORE: Watching Birds Near Your Home is Good For Your Mental Health
Some suggest this is due to exam-focused school setups, overprotective or controlling parenting styles, and widespread access to technology. Instant and continuous access to social media has been touted as a problem for anxiety-susceptible youth, who are constantly having their lives critiqued, or compared with the lives of others.
A more sedentary lifestyle can also lead to symptoms of anxiety. Dopamine released during physical activities like walking or running gives you a feel-great feeling of accomplishment, and getting outside in the sun aids in the synthesizing of Vitamin-D, which is shown to improve mood.
Sleep deprivation is another real potential danger, and no one except maybe the nuclear scientists of the 1950s-60s get less sleep than your average college-aged student today.
LOOK: Kid Therapist Raises Money by Offering Advice to Stressed New Yorkers
With considerable numbers of Americans on some form of mood-altering pharmaceutical for things like depression or anxiety, drugs dominate the treatment field for most people. They are quick, easy, and cheap, and don’t involve the nasty self-reflection that comes from counseling.
Another approach to soothing the difficulties from anxiety is called music therapy. A new song developed specifically by sound therapists from the British Academy of Sound Therapy stands out among other songs tested for its success in soothing the mind and alleviating symptoms of anxiety.
CHECK OUT: Magic Mushrooms Show Groundbreaking Psychological Relief in Cancer Patients
Measured by things like heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels in the brain, listening to this song through headphones was found to reduce the effects of anxiety by 65%
The song, which is called “Weightless”, was co-written by the sound therapists and the English musical trio Marconi Union; be sure to pass it on to someone who might need it.
(LISTEN to the song below)
Treat Your Friends For Negativity And Share The Good News With Your Friends – Takumi Yoshida, CC
Andy Corbley is the founder and editor of World At Large, a small environment, travel, and lifestyle focused journal that stresses integrity, nuance, and honesty which launched in early March 2019.
Actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger has been using an online bodybuilding forum to joke around with his fans – but when one user asked for help dealing with his depression, the Terminator did not hesitate to offer up some sincere motivation.
The exchange began on a video that Schwarzenegger posted to the bodybuilding page of Reddit this week.
One user commented on the video, saying: “I know this is pandering but, I’ve been depressed for months and haven’t hit the gym during that time. Mr. Schwarzenegger can you please tell me to get off my lazy a** and hit the gym? I swear to everything I hold dear that I will snap out of it and go.”
The very same day, Schwarzenegger responded.
LOOK: Stylist Spends 13 Hours With Depressed Teen, Repairing Her Matted Hair For School Photos
“I’m not going to be that hard on you,” wrote the celebrity. “Please don’t be that hard on yourself. We all go through challenges, we all go through failure. Sometimes life is a workout. But the key thing is you get up. Just move a little. Roll out of bed and do some pushups or go for a walk. Just do something. One step at a time, I hope you feel better and get back to the gym. But don’t beat yourself up, because that’s just useless talk. It doesn’t get you closer to the gym. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Good luck.”
Not surprisingly, the advice definitely helped. Upon the kind note from his movie star hero, the user later wrote back to say that he was getting back on his feet.
“I’m not kidding, I just jumped out of bed when I received this notification. Arnold, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to reply,” wrote the Redditor. “I’m getting dressed and heading to the gym, I’ll be doing a 5×5 routine (squats, overhead press, deadlift) to get the rust off and will snap out of it. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
MORE: When Passenger Asks to be Left at a Bridge, Uber Driver Intervenes Instead
“I wish everybody reading this comment could know how good it feels to have Arnold Schwarzenegger personally give you encouragement, I feel overwhelmed (in a good way) and as cliché as it sounds, I do have tears of joy in my eyes,” he added. “Off to the gym!!”
Touched by the exchange, Schwarzenegger even followed up with the guy the next day to check up on his progress. Seeing that the depressed man was using the advice to motivate other discouraged internet users, the Terminator then recorded a video for the guy to thank him for paying the kindness forward.
For u/0770059834333178 from u/GovSchwarzenegger
Pump Up Your Friends And Share The Sweet Story To Social Media
After a tropical storm brought a tidal wave of plastic debris and garbage bobbing along the Caribbean island’s famously beautiful shoreline, Dominica, joined the global fight to combat ocean pollution with a bold proclamation.
By January of 2019, the nation plans on eliminating common plastics, such as single-use straws, and Styrofoam food items.
The aptly-named Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit claims that the ban will aid in the restoration of more remote regions, as better solid waste management practices are put into effect.
Sharing more similarities with the former American president than just his name, Skerrit also displayed his devotion to the natural landscape of his country. He said at a budget meeting in June that “Dominica prides itself as the ‘Nature Isle,’” and his country “must in every way deserve and reflect that designation.”
“We must rebuild and reset our society and economy, and protect our environment in order to achieve a new, more resilient Dominica,” he added.
Other ocean-encircled countries, such as New Zealand, Great Britain, and Australia have already committed to the removal of certain plastics with great success. The implementation of a mere 5 pence tax on each plastic bag sold in the UK was enough to reduce the amount of plastic bags on UK beaches by 40% the very next year.
MORE: He Has Created a Single-Use Bottle That Fully Decomposes in 3 Weeks, and All Profits to Charity
However, the “Nature Isle” is taking the environmental movement one step further by also removing plastic plates, forks, and knives, with a full list of prohibited items expected later this year closer to the installment of the ban in January.
With Dominica taking urgent action, one can hope the Caribbean nation will be the ‘Nature Isle’ for many years to come.
[CORRECTION: Earlier version incorrectly named the island as Dominican Republic]
Clean Up Negativity By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends – Photo by Snemann, CC
There’s nothing like a bedtime story before sleep – and this feline is no exception.
In a heart-melting video that was recently uploaded to Twitter, a 4-year-old girl named Abby Merryn can be seen reading a bedtime story to her cat Bailey.
While some cats might not be especially fond of snuggling, Bailey lounges across his buddy’s lap while she reads aloud from a storybook. Every once in a while, he’ll sleepily raise his head so he can gaze at Abby’s face before falling back asleep.
LOOK: Cat Has the Most Hilariously Priceless (and Relatable) Reaction to Finding Out She’s Pregnant
This is not the first time that this has happened, either – according to Abby’s mother, Erin, the little girl regularly curls up to her cat so she can read to him; and he is always the perfect audience.
Erin, who lives in Illinois, adopted Bailey when she was in college 13 years ago. She was drawn to the cat after he literally jumped into her arms and would not let go.
13 years later, he is still sweet as can be.
(WATCH the video below)
@Storyful pic.twitter.com/9utfaqZLiq
— Erin Merryn (@ErinMerryn) August 8, 2018
Be Sure And Share This Purrrrfect Clip With Your Friends – Photo by Erin Merryn
Quote of the Day: “I am here to live out loud!” – Émile Zola
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
One of Seattle’s most beloved bands just rallied the city into raising millions of dollars for the homeless.
Peal Jam played two concerts at Safeco Field this week as a means of getting the community together to address extreme poverty.
In addition to encouraging 100 Seattle businesses to join in on the fundraising efforts, the shows raised over $11 million, 90% of which will be donated.
RELATED: Watch Neil Diamond Come Out of Retirement to Serenade Exhausted Firefighters
The businesses participating in the initiative all volunteered to donate varying portions of their proceeds to the charitable initiative as well.
The money is set to be distributed to 40 different homeless organizations based out of Seattle.
(WATCH the video below)
Multiply The Good And Share The News With Your Friends – Photo by Q13 Fox
This couple’s wedding day quickly became a story to tell the kids.
The bride and groom were traveling through Bogota, New Jersey this week when a sudden surge of floodwaters left them stranded in their car.
Thankfully, the Bogota Police Department was there to help.
Officer Michael Laferrera drove a police hummer up to the side of the couple’s car. With the flooding reaching as high as the headlights, he climbed onto the roof of the car and helped the bride through the sunroof.
RELATED: When Beach Wedding is Rained Out, Stranger Runs Up to Bride and Offers Up Her Home Instead
The bride took off her shoes and handed them to the officer before taking his hand and daintily climbing into the hummer – all while she was still in her wedding dress. Apart from the light drizzling, the bride’s shoes and dress remained almost entirely dry through the ordeal.
“They’re in pretty decent spirits considering everything that happened,” Bogota police Sgt. Geoffrey Cole told NorthJersey.com. Laferrera simply said that it was definitely “a first” for his career.
WATCH: New Chance at Love for Woman Who Woke Up From Coma to Find She Has Second Husband
The department posted footage of the rescue to Facebook, where it has since been viewed thousands of times.
“If you are from the area, you know that it is flood-prone,” said the department. “Within an hour yesterday, Bogota got over an inch of rain. This was not the normal flood!! This came to over 4 feet high from up stream, in less than 15 minutes‼️
“Unfortunately, due to the quickly rising flood waters, this bride, her new husband and wedding party friends, got a rough start on things,” they wrote. “The fortunate thing, is we were able to help them through their first rough patch. Obviously their day has not gone as planned, so let’s congratulate them on their wedding and give them best wishes for a lifetime of love and adventure, starting now!!”
(WATCH the video below)
Flood Your Friends With Good News And Share This Story To Social Media – Photo by Bogota Police Department
When microchips fail, this community animal app is using facial recognition software to reunite lost pets with their owners.
Finding Rover is a service that allows people to upload photos of their cats or dogs to an online database. If a user’s pet goes missing, they can have their animal listed as missing on the platform.
Fellow app users in the area will be notified of the missing animal so they can keep their eyes open. Then, if an animal is ever found, a user can take a picture of the rescued animal and submit it to the database. If the animal’s face resembles any of the profiles in the database, the platform will list possible facial matches and notify the owners of the matching pets.
Over 400 American animal shelters, veterinarians, and rescue organizations utilize the app as a backup solution for any lost pet that is found without a microchip.
RELATED: This Kindness App Pairs People With Problems to Neighbors Who Have the Specific Solution
While animal specialists recommend that people microchip their pets, the app can also come in handy for spooked animals that may be evading rescue.
Additionally, the app has an adoption section where shelters and rescue facilities can post pictures and details about animals that are in need of a forever home.
Finding Rover is available for free on Google Play and iTunes.
(WATCH the 2013 news coverage of the app below)
Be Sure And Share The Pawesome Idea With Your Friends – Representative photo by Mark Turnauckas, CC
As a means of celebrating their sustained truce, two Chicago gangs banded together so they could build a playground for the community.
It has been eight months since the two rival gangs of the North Pullman neighborhood said that they were tired of the violence and wanted to achieve peace.
According to Arne Duncan of Chicago CRED, an organization that works to reduce violence within the city, the successful cease-fire has inspired relief and hope that other gangs in the city can follow suit.
RELATED: Africans Are So Happy Border Fight is Over They’re Calling Random Phone Numbers On the Other Side
“We’re working directly with the young men on the south and west sides most likely to shoot and be shot,” Duncan told CBS 2. “They didn’t ask for anything for themselves. They said ‘our kids have no place to play. Can you help us build a playground?’”
Despite spending years fighting over the territory, members of the two gangs worked side-by-side with community volunteers to build the playground this week – and upon seeing the completed fruits of their labor, “no one could hide their smiles.”
(WATCH the video below)
Share The Inspiring Story Of Peace With Your Friends – Photo by CBS 2
Quote of the Day: “With the exercise of self-trust, new powers shall appear.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
A shy teen had a 265-pound gift for his teacher—and after several auction bidders heard about the boy’s compassion, they took it upon themselves to make sure the gift really brought home the bacon. Hear The Good News Guru tell the incredible tale (from the August 10, 2018 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST-103.5 radio).
READ the full story, here, on Good News Network…
LISTEN to this story here, as told by The Good News Guru, from Friday’s radio broadcast with Ellen K and the GNN founder, on KOST-103.5 — Or, READ the story below… (Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes – or for Androids, on Podbean)
A teen had a 265-pound gift for his teacher if he could overcome his stage fright enough to pull it off. He succeeded—and the gift really brought home the bacon.
A shy 15-year-old boy was heartbroken to hear that his favorite teacher in Evansville, Wisconsin was retiring. He even tried to bribe her, handing over all his money, $52, because she was leaving on a mission to raise money for cancer.
It didn’t work, but the donation made Waylon Clitsman realize how good it feels to help.
Kim Katzenmeyer – or “Miss K” as he called her – was stepping down from her position as an educator so she could dedicate her time towards Beat Nb: a charity that raises money for neuroblastoma research. Her passion for the charity was kindled after her four-year-old niece was diagnosed with it, the most common form of childhood cancer, she will have to fight the disease for the rest of her life.
RELATED: Farmers Stay Silent During Auction So Young Man Can Win the Bid on His Long-Lost Family Farm
To help Miss K, Waylon decided to take the pig he’d raised and auction it off at the county fair and donate all the money– but after several people heard about his generosity, the auction took a very unexpected turn.
The boy had emailed his situation to several companies who would be buying—hoping they would bid higher than the usual price of $3-to-4 per pound.
His plan worked. When the bidding kicked off, the price jumped to $11—but then one of the bidders, Dan Drozdowicz, had an idea and struck a deal with his competition.
MORE: 7-Year-old Boy Starts ‘Underground Railroad’ to Rescue Over 1,000 Dogs From Kill Shelters
He won the bidding on the pig—then he donated it back to be auctioned again. The second winner bought it for $10 a pound—but then he gave it back, too.
Finally, a third competitor, Dave Moll, was free to buy—then, he, too, unexpectedly donated the pig back—for a third time.
Moll, who is the co-founder of the construction company that employs Waylon’s father, told The Washington Post: “I had had no intention of spending that much money or giving the pig back. But that’s what the people ahead of me did, and I felt like it was the right thing to do, so I did.”
CHECK OUT: 15-Year-old Melts the Hearts of Airline Passengers When She Befriends Blind and Deaf Passenger
The pig was finally bought and sold a fourth time for $5.50 per pound, meaning that Waylon managed to raise $10,070 for his teacher’s charity.
“I did not see that happening,” Waylon told The Post. “Usually, they just sell it once! My dream got bigger and bigger every time they said, ‘Give it back.’”
This is not Waylon’s final contribution to the charity, however – he is now preparing to auction off his three acres worth of pumpkins in the fall, and he plans on donating everything to Beat Nb.
RELATED: Good Manners Pay Off: When Man is Desperate to Meet Lotto Deadline And Stranger Lets Him Go First
“I am bursting, my heart is bursting with pride for him,” Miss K said. “He doesn’t know the impact that he is having… Someday he will.”
Multiply The Good By Sharing The News With Your Friends – Photo by Kim Katzenmeyer
A team of Egyptian college students has designed a vehicle that is powered solely on oxygen.
The current prototype can transport 1-person at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour (40 kph) and make it almost 20 miles without needed a refuel, but the engineers plan on developing the vehicle further so it can push at least 62 mph (100 kph)—and travel 62 miles on a canister of oxygen.
In addition to running on one of the most common substances found on Earth, the go-kart-like vehicle only costs about $1,000 to build.
The undergrads, who are studying at Helwan University outside of Cairo, developed the vehicle in hopes that it will prove useful following economic reforms in Egypt.
RELATED: People Have Passively Planted Over 30 Million Trees Simply by Surfing the Web
“The operational cost of the vehicle… will be almost nothing,” Mahmoud Yasser, one of the vehicle’s designers told Reuters.
“You are basically using compressed air. You are not paying for fuel and also you do not need cooling.”
(WATCH the video below)]
Drive The Good News To Your Friends And Share To Social Media
Alzheimer’s Disease, along with anxiety disorders, Parkinson’s, clinical depression, and other neurological diseases are notoriously difficult conditions to find treatment for. Because the diseases are not well understood, and therefore hard to target directly, many pharmaceutical options fail.
But a relatively new field of neurological treatment is opening up in the form of things like tACS (transcranial alternating current stimulation) and other non-invasive, non-drug methods.
For example, on March 2015, Li-Huei Tsai, a neuroscientist at MIT set up a tiny disco of flashing lights for some of the mice in her laboratory that had been engineered to develop increased amounts of an Alzheimer’s related brain-plaque called amyloid-β. They were later found upon dissection to be carrying far less – sometimes even none – of the plaque than was present before the disco parties began.
The experiment baffled Tsai; and even after checking the results multiple times, she had a hard time believing them. The strobe light within the little rodent dance party, which was tuned to 40 hertz, was designed to help manipulate the rodents’ brain waves and produce a large number of biological benefits, including the elimination of the amyloid-β forming proteins – and it worked.
RELATED: Magnetic Brain Treatment Erases Suicidal Thoughts in Dramatic Portion of Depressed Patients
“The result was so mind-boggling and so robust, it took a while for the idea to sink in, but we knew we needed to work out a way of trying out the same thing in humans,” Tsai told Nature. How can the simple repetitive flashing of lights help to suppress the development of things like Alzheimer’s disease? A brief look into brainwaves will help provide the clues.
When the neurons in your brain communicate with each other, electrical impulses, created by the flow of ions into and out of each cell can be observed on a computer as oscillating waves of electrical energy. Gamma-type brain waves flow at the highest frequency, and are less common in Alzheimer’s patients. These waves are observable when a person is in a period of deep sleep characterized by rapid eye movement (REM sleep).
Scientists believe the synchronized firing of neurons help sort out all the stimuli and sensory input into the correct centers of the brain for processing; taste, motor function, hearing, etc. Neurodegenerative diseases disrupt these brain wave oscillations and seem to deliver their pathologies through their own altering of brain waves; like Parkinson’s which impedes the natural suppression of the Beta-type brain wave leading to impeded motor function.
RELATED: Alzheimer’s Gene is Neutralized in Human Brain Cells for the First Time
Now, a growing body of evidence, including Tsai’s findings, offers the possibility of forestalling or even reversing the damage caused by such conditions without using a drug. More than two dozen clinical trials are aiming to modulate brainwaves in some way — some with flickering lights or rhythmic sounds, but most through applying electrical currents to the brain or scalp.
TACS, which involves the direct application of low-level electrical currents into certain parts of the brain, has been suggested to be even more effective than rodent (or human) disco parties of external stimulation. Emiliano Santarnecchi at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts have been using tACS in research for years, and after seeing Tsai’s results, thought it a no-brainer to test the method on Alzheimer’s patients.
MORE: These Scientists Have Managed to Stop the Progress of Alzheimer’s in Animals
His team has begun an early clinical trial in which ten people with Alzheimer’s disease receive tACS for one hour daily for two weeks. A second trial, in collaboration with Tsai, will look for signals of increased microglia – unique and important immune cells designed just for the brain and nervous-system. According to earlier studies by Dr. Tsai, microglia can be made more active by brain wave manipulation, causing them to accelerate the speed and effectiveness in which they clean the brain and nervous system of debris. Results are expected from both trials by the end of the 2018.
The popular Radiolab podcast released an episode in 2014 titled “Nine-volt Nirvana,” in which they catalogued instances of tDCS (trans-cranial DIRECT current stimulation) being used to accelerate the learning processes of complex skills such as languages immensely, but also aiding in the quitting of smoking habits, the overcoming of depression, and even boosting rifle marksmanship.
ALSO: This One Peptide Could Treat MS, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s, and More
For Dr. Tsai, understanding the relationship between neurological diseases and the regulation of different brain wave oscillations is personal. The grandmother who raised her was affected by dementia and that confused face made a deep impact. Tsai is now giving everything she has to try and solve the mystery.
Remember To Share This Exciting News With Your Friends –Image by digitalbob8
Andy Corbley is the founder and editor of World At Large, a small environment, travel, and lifestyle focused journal that stresses integrity, nuance, and honesty which launched in early March 2019.
Encarna Alés was taken out of school when she was just 8 years old. Now 74, the Spanish grandmother is still unable to read or write.
Though she has managed well enough, Alés loves to call her friends and family, and her inability to read people’s names in her contact book has proved difficult.
Thankfully, she has a dedicated grandson who developed a creative solution for her illiteracy—and he’s been maintaining it for many years.
RELATED: An 8-Year-old Asked, What if the Whole World Made a Painting Together? And it Sort of Happened.
Since Pedro Ortega was 11 years old, he has been doodling small illustrations to correspond with his grandmother’s contact phone numbers. This way, she can identify the number based on its drawing, rather than its name.
Ortega has been adding new drawings to his grandmother’s phone book for the last 20 years.
“Every time I’m back home, I sit down and add new drawings for her,” the 31-year-old told BBC. “It’s become something special between the two of us.”
Share This Sweet Story Of Familial Kindness With Your Friends – Photos by Pedro Ortega
