Every parent is excited to see their children graduate – but Rob Edwards was doing everything he could to savor the joy of his son’s academic achievement. His happiness was so contagious, in fact, it compelled a stranger to give his son a gift.
Edwards, who is from Tampa, Florida, says that he was about to walk into his local bank when he ran into the appreciative stranger.
“Today I was walking into the bank [when] I held the door open for this lady behind me,” Edwards wrote on Facebook. “Once in the door, she waited for me to go in front of her. I said ‘By all means go in front of me. Today my son graduates. I’m slowing down and want to savor every minute.’
“We carried on additional small talk about being lucky to have made it before the bank closed – and the joys, fun and hard times of having an 18-year-old. I then stepped up to the teller and proceeded with my transaction.”
As he was talking with the banker, however, the woman slipped an envelope onto the counter from under his arm and said, “Congratulations, I’m so happy for you.”
Confused by the gesture, Edwards thanked the woman and finished up his transaction. He then looked inside the envelope and found that it contained a crisp $50 bill.
“Floored” by the gesture, the dad ran outside and saw the woman getting into her vehicle.
“I walked up to her car and told her ‘I can’t take this!’ She said ‘When you talk about your boy, YOU GLOW. You’re a blessing to him, so I want to bless him too!’” Edwards recounts.
“I was so touched,” he added. “I don’t know her name, I’ve never seen her before. But I will never forget her love.
Before they parted ways, Edwards gave the woman a hug and asked to take a photo with her. He later posted the photo to social media so he could praise the woman for her compassion.
“We need more of this in the world today,” says Edwards. “Not the money, but kindness. I hugged a complete stranger today. My son who I love with all my heart was shown love … It warms the father’s heart to love the son. I am blessed.”
Share The Sweet Gesture With Your Friends – Photo by Rob Edwards
This story was submitted as a nomination to the Reader’s Digest “Top 10 Nicest Places in America” contest: a crowd-sourced effort to uncover corners of the country where people are still kind and respectful in an era of cultural and political divides. If you know of a community, business, or nonprofit where kindness prevails, then be sure to submit a testimony or anecdote here before the June 5th deadline. (GNN will be one of the judges!)
The Enoch Pratt Free Library is a haven in the city of Baltimore, Maryland.
With 22 locations across the city, the library provides vital services, information, and opportunities to all. Where else can a homeless person, a mother with a child, a business executive, or the mayor walk in and all be treated equally?
The Pratt is a place where civil discourse happens. Librarians are trusted by the community and turned to for help. The Pratt helps people be their best selves.
Stories About Enoch Pratt Free Library
If you go around Baltimore, nearly everyone has a Pratt story. This year, “Social Worker in the Library” was launched to help connect people to the social services they need without ever having to leave the library.
One of the social workers was able to help a gentlemen begin to learn how to read. He stood up during a group session and told everyone for the first time that he was able to pay a bill on time because he could read what the bill said. He then proceeded to read aloud from a children’s story book. There was not a dry eye in the house.
Another program that’s expanding at the Pratt is “Lawyer in the Library.” Attorneys provide free legal aid to community members for things like expungements. One woman came in with her young daughter and was shocked to realize in a short time she could have her record expunged, which would open up employment opportunities she’d never had before. She looked at her daughter and said: “Today you have a new mommy.”
These stories happen every day inside the Pratt Library.
Testimonials
“Enoch Pratt Library is an anchor institution that is a community treasure in a profound way. This community treasure and its 22 branches circle and embrace the city as a mother embraces her young. The library provides the opportunity to learn about interest and a safe space to explore and exhale. It is also a hub for community members and service providers who want to assist their village in moving forward. The collaboration between Enoch Pratt Library and the University of Maryland School of Social Work is innovative and impactful. It is what a good neighbor does when the community members are in need.
“As the Faculty Clinical Instructor for this collaboration, I oversee 8 graduate students who provide direct services to patrons in 4 branches across the city. The patrons do not need an appointment and receive the services on site at the library. Completion of forms, assistance with workforce development or homeless services are a few of the services rendered. Over 500 individuals have reached out in some form to access these services. While there are many libraries that are starting to bring on social workers, Pratt is the only library providing direct services in multiple branches. This community gem is interested in being a ‘good neighbor’ and has extended these services free of charge. Immediate plans for expansion are in progress. Enoch Pratt is a true Baltimore treasure and an awesome neighbor indeed.” — Kimberly Street, Clinical Field Instructor, University of Maryland, School of Social Work
“Enoch Pratt Free Library has been my refuge and escape ever since I came to the U.S. at age 17. I had no friends and had not established ties to a new neighborhood. However, after school, I would go there and just find a sense of peace, purpose and quietness… Developing a love for books inspired me to write and so when I authored my first book, you selected me to come to the Central Library for a Writers Live lecture and book signing… The opportunity [that was granted to] me will be forever cherished… There’s nothing quite like Enoch Pratt.” —Devon Blackwood, Author
“There were two churches in my youth — Dickey Memorial Presbyterian and the Enoch Pratt’s Central Library. The difference is that I still go to the Central Library. I don’t know who I would be without the Pratt, and I don’t want to know.” —Laura Lippman, Author
(WATCH the video below)
Reprinted with permission from Reader’s Digest and submitted by Meghan McCorkell. To learn more about GNN’s part in searching for the Top 10 Nicest Places, click here.
Share The Inspiring Story Of Community And Share To Social Media – Photo by Enoch Pratt Free Library
There are certain leisures that parents might take for granted when raising children – and while listening to babies crying doesn’t seem like it would be very high on the list, it is for deaf parents.
As parents spend time around infants, they start to learn the difference between when a baby is crying from pain, rather than fussiness. Deaf parents, on the other hand, have no way of understanding whether their baby’s cries mean something more serious.
That’s why Dr. Ariana Anderson at the UCLA Medical Center and Semel Institute developed the Chatterbaby app.
Anderson, who is a mother of four, realized that over the course of being a mother, she had steadily learned to interpret her children’s crying. So as a means of assisting the deaf community, she developed the Chatterbaby app to alert parents to when their kids are crying – and to explain why the infants are crying.
By compiling a database of over 2,000 baby cries, Anderon’s app can interpret a baby’s needs with 90% accuracy. For instance, if there are long periods of silence between cries, it usually means that the baby is just finicky. But if the infant is uttering long, sustained, high-pitched wails, it means that the baby is in pain.
The app is still being developed, but deaf parents who have tested the innovative service say that it is already a valuable tool for looking after their infant.
(WATCH the video below)
Share The Fascinating Tool With Your Friends – Photo by Inside Edition
Thousands of high school grads across the country are walking across the stage to receive some well-deserved recognition for their last four years of hard work – and Corey Patrick is no exception.
For the entirety of his senior year, Corey has been waking up at 4AM every morning to take the bus to Tarrant High School. The student had gone to Tarrant city schools for most of his life until he recently moved from Birmingham, Alabama to West End, and even though it was a long commute, he said he wanted to go back to Tarrant for his final year of high school so he could graduate with his friends.
People have been praising Corey’s hard work after a bus driver snapped a photo of him walking away from the bus while he was all dressed up in his cap and gown for graduation.
Additionally, Corey had ridden the bus by himself because his family had been unable to find transportation until the very last minute.
The bus driver posted the photo to social media, saying: “You tell me this ain’t determination … Sometimes it’s all in what you want out of life. He didn’t have on the best, but he was the best in my eyes. I was so proud of this black young man.”
The photo was shared thousands of times until it was eventually spotted by local radio host Rickey Smiley.
Smiley brought Corey onto his morning radio show so he could talk to the youth about his determined nature; and according to the student, it all paid off – he was recently offered a full scholarship to study computer sciences at Jacksonville University.
Not only that, Smiley then surprised Corey with a new car, along with free driving lessons.
Corey Patrick doesn’t have his driver’s license yet, but he plans to take the test this summer so he can drive his new set of wheels pic.twitter.com/VbWJBZLoWg
“Corey is an inspiration to us all,” 95.7 Jamz Program Director Nu York said in a press release. “His determination for success must be praised and recognized. Corey teaches us all a great lesson about endurance and how to push through no matter our circumstances.”
(WATCH the video below)
Share The Inspiring Story Of Perseverance With Your Friends And Share To Social Media– Photo by Dee Bee
A revolutionary new drug will soon be able to treat the 2.8 million Americans who suffer from debilitating migraines.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a treatment called Aimovig, which is the first ever drug that is designed specifically to treat migraines.
Aimovig is applied through a monthly injection that works similarly to insulin shots. The medication then blocks a protein fragment called CGRP, which stimulates migraines.
Up until now, migraine patients have tried to treat and prevent the debilitating episodes by taking medication that is designed to treat other conditions, such as high blood pressure. According to the New York Times, however, these medications work very inconsistently. In addition to only offering partial relief and prevention, they often come with almost unbearable side effects.
In clinical trials with Aimovig, on the other hand, the patients experienced no more side effects than the patients in the placebo group.
Though the retail price of the drug is listed at roughly $575 per monthly injection, insurance coverage can bring the copay down to as low as $5 per month, according to a statement from Amgen, the pharmaceutical company responsible for Aimovig.
One week after its approval from the FDA, it is now ready for patient prescription.
“For now, they look fantastic,” said Dr. Stewart J. Tepper of the new drugs. “They shake the ground under our feet. They will change the way we treat migraine.”
“The drugs will have a huge impact,” said Dr. Amaal Starling, a neurologist from the Mayo Clinic who specializes in migraine treatment. “This is really an amazing time for my patient population and for general neurologists treating patients with migraine.”
Pass On The Positive News And Share This With Your Friends – Photo by Allspice1, CC
Quote of the Day: “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited… We need men who can dream of things that never were.” – John F. Kennedy (born on this day 101 years ago)
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 22-year-old migrant is being hailed as a “Spiderman” hero after he saved a young boy who was dangling from a fourth floor balcony in Paris this week.
Mamoudou Gassama, who moved to France from Mali a few months ago, had been in a restaurant watching a football match when he noticed a crowd gathering outside on the street.
A boy was crying and clinging to the outside of the balcony balcony railing. Meanwhile, the next door neighbors were struggling to rescue the boy.
Without stopping to think, Gassama quickly started scaling the front of the building by pulling himself up from balcony to balcony. Within seconds of approaching the building, he reached the boy and pulled him to safety – and the fire brigade had not even arrived yet.
In a video of the rescue, the crowd can be heard cheering Gassama on and screaming their approval over his exceptional rescue.
And the spectators weren’t the only ones who praised the 22-year-old for his heroism – in honor of Saturday’s events, Gassama recently met with French President Emmanuel Macron at Elyseé Palace.
As a means of thanking Gassama for his courage, Macron said that he would be making the Malian man a naturalized citizen of France. Not only that, Gassama was given a medal for bravery and a job position with the fire brigade.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, also praised Gassama on Twitter, saying: “He explained to me that he arrived from Mali a few months ago with the dream of making a life for himself here. I replied that his heroic act is an example for all citizens and that the city of Paris will obviously be keen to support him in his efforts to settle in France.”
(WATCH the incredible rescue below)
Watch 22 year old Mamoudou Gassama heroically scaling four stories of a building when he sees a toddler about to fall to a certain death. When he began climbing the neighbors did not have ahold of the child’s arm yet. pic.twitter.com/67EsUmzwFN
Quote of the Day: “Teach me to appreciate what I have, before time forces me to appreciate what I had.” – Susan L. Lenzkes
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?
Delicious food is appreciated worldwide as a fixture of shared culture, family tradition, comfort at home and luxury eating out. A centerpiece of celebration and events, food always get the festivities underway.
Nothing serves as an indulgent pick-me-up like a warm dish of your favorite food—especially you’re feeling blue. While doctors, along with the current organic ‘local food’ movement, urge us towards healthier, balanced diets, this doesn’t mean comfort food needs to be abandoned.
There are ways to turn your guilty pleasure into a healthy ones and still get the psychological boost.
Rather than physical needs, these food cravings are based on your emotional needs. This is because your choice of dishes may be a reminder of someone you love, a childhood experience, or any emotions that can have a positive influence on your mood. By engaging in this sentimental dish, you stimulate the feelings in your subconscious and that familiar feeling is brought back to comfort you.
Forget calories, focus on comfort
Our favorite comfort foods are usually high-calorie, nutrient-deficient dishes that can often lead to overeating. However, the caloric aspect is not the essence of comfort food’s positive effects. Rather than turning away from enjoying these foods (or feeling guilty when you eat them), it is better to become aware of the healthier versions of these foods, which can comfort just as well. After all, the point of comfort food is to make you feel better, not worse.
According to a paper published by the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, comfort food can also be determined by basic tastes, like sweet and salty.
So by recreating these key tastes, it can provide the same effect of comfort, without having to reproduce the potentially unhealthy dish.
The healthy alternatives
There are so many food choices available to provide a variety of healthy, yet enjoyable, versions of your go-to comfort foods. Whether it’s pizza, macaroni and cheese, burgers and fries, or spaghetti, there are ways to make them healthy.
Health-focused restaurants have started switching up these recipes to maintain the comfort factor while reducing the unhealthy parts—swapping out french fries for baked sweet potato fries, using salad style ingredients on pizza, adding cauliflower or zucinni ribbons in mac and cheese or pasta. Even seaweed fries and sesame seeds in your favorite Korean dish form part of the modern, healthy fast food movement.
It’s a massive relief to know that your comfort cravings are completely normal and, contrary to what you might think, can even be healthy for you. There should be no judgment or shame attached to taking pleasure in enjoyable food, even if it is to improve your mood. Instead, the fact that it can boost your mood and conjure positive feelings from your past puts comfort food in a bright new light.
After all, feeling good is contagious and only adds to the world’s positive vibrations.
Listen to the stirring tale of how a mother’s devotional love endured 45 years of complete separation: “She knew you would be back.” Hear The Good News Guru tell the inspiring story (from the May 25, 2018 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST-103.5 radio).
This story was submitted as a nomination to the Reader’s Digest “Top 10 Nicest Places in America” contest: a crowd-sourced effort to uncover corners of the country where people are still kind and respectful in an era of cultural and political divides. If you know of a community, business, or nonprofit where kindness prevails, then be sure to submit a testimony or anecdote here before the June 5th deadline. (GNN will be one of the judges!)
West Lafayette, Indiana is one of the nicest places in America because when someone is in need of help, others step in to lend a hand.
Recently, when a new, local brewer had an emergency, other local breweries stepped in to assist, no questions asked – because being nice and helping others defines our community.
In West Lafayette, the beer scene has taken off. In one year, we went from two breweries to six. But instead of looking at each other as competition, our local breweries help one another.
Recently, brewer Jason Cook from Teays River (a brewery that opened in 2017), had just started the boil for a seven-barrel, 217-gallon brew of a new beer that he’d been thinking about for a while. He was calling it No Control IPA, which is an homage to a 1989 song by Bad Religion.
But as he was making the massive batch of beer, he nearly lost the tip of the little finger on his right hand.
On his way to the hospital he was trying to figure out how to save roughly 1,388 glasses worth of beer. Instead of having to trash the brew, however, two other local brewers rushed over to the facility– no questions asked –to save the brew.
They could have seen this as an opportunity to gain leverage on their competition, but instead, they helped to rescue this new brewery from what could have been a major financial loss. Also, the new breweries that have opened in our area tell stories about the free-flow of help and advice that comes from the other breweries (especially from the breweries that have been around for years) because they believe that there’s room in the market for each one to find a niche.
This is just one story of an act of kindness. But it shows what our area is all about: helping one another when crisis hits. And that to build a community, instead of seeing each other as competition, helping others and being nice pays off for everyone.
Reprinted with permission from Reader’s Digest. To learn more about GNN’s part in searching for the Top 10 Nicest Places, click here.
Brew Up Some Positivity With Your Friends And Share This Story To Social Media – Photo submitted by Sara Erickson
Miraculous days start “normally” – and on this fateful day, I was back home with my family for Christmas after returning from 500 miles away, having taken care of my mother for a year.
Since our cats’ brand of litter had not been to our liking, we drove 25 miles to Eugene, Oregon to find a substitute at one of their twelve or more pet stores.
The kitty litter aisle was forty feet long, which made our choice all the more complicated. We did not want pine litter, as it is hard on the lungs. We had tried the newspaper brands and crushed walnuts; and we were not sold on the clumping brands because it attached to our Persians’ long fur. All of these factors meant that we were reading bag after bag of clay and crystal litters to find the best fit.
When someone pushed their grocery cart up to the litter section, I approached them like the “kitty-rozzi” so I could interview them about their choice: “Have you used this brand long? Does it hold odor? How often do you change it? Do you have long or short haired cats?” Everyone smiled and graciously participated in our survey.
We then began comparing their selections. During our hour of research, none of the customers shared their cats’ names.
Finally, this beautiful, blue-eyed woman with shoulder-length white hair reminiscent of a white Persian cat tossed a bag of litter into her cart.
I noted her kind face and purr-ceded to ask her my list of questions – and during those few seconds of divine timing our lives merged in a city of 160,000.
When she responded, “We have two short haired cats,” I quipped, “Oh, you look like someone who would have Persians.”
She stopped, caught her breath and quietly said, “We did have two—and loved them. But ‘Myrakle’ died a year ago.”
Quote of the Day: “When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” – Margaret Drabble (English author and critic)
Photo: by mandy lackey, 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?
Two pilots have spent their combined life savings for the sole purpose of saving refugees from the perils of sailing across the Mediterranean Sea.
José Benavente and Benoit Micolon are the French altruists behind the volunteer rescue group Pilotes Volontaires. The two men launched the effort after they pooled their hard-earned money to purchase a $150,000 plane to be used for rescuing migrants at sea.
“José and I bought the plane with our own personal money because otherwise we would have wasted too much time searching for financing,” Micolon told NBC News.
Benavente is no stranger to humanitarian efforts – for 25 years, he’s worked for the Red Cross and witnessed the challenges faced by Syrian migrants. Micolon, who first met Benavente in 2006 when they were earning their pilots’ licenses, became interested in the cause after his friend described firsthand the refugee crisis.
Every year, thousands of refugees pile into boats as a means of reaching safety in Europe. Unfortunately, many of those vessels don’t make it to dry land.
“It is very difficult to locate these small boats, sometimes carrying hundreds of people, and often the vessels ready to help them arrive too late,” says the pilots’ website. “We refuse to accept this fact as a fatality and we want to act to save more lives. Our mission is to provide air support, thanks to our aircraft adapted to search at sea.”
After buying the plane in January, Benavente and Micolon launched their maiden flight over the Mediterranean to search for boats earlier this month. By partnering with several regional nonprofits and charities to coordinate rescue efforts, the dynamic duo is now able to spot lifeboats from the air and direct rescue ships towards their location.
The industrious little plane is named “Hummingbird” after a Native American story about a hummingbird that attempts to stop a forest fire by scooping up drops of water with its beak and dropping it on the flames. When the other animals ask what the hummingbird is doing, it says: “I’m doing what I can.”
If you would like to donate to the Pilotes Volontaires, you can visit their website.
Fly This Inspiring Story To Your Friends And Share To Social Media – Photo by Pilotes Volontaires
This story was submitted by Tammy Bacon as a nomination to the Reader’s Digest “Top 10 Nicest Places in America” contest: a crowd-sourced effort to uncover nooks where people are still kind and respectful in an era of cultural and political divides. If you know of a community, business, or nonprofit where kindness prevails, then be sure to submit a testimony or anecdote here before the June 5th deadline.
I was raised in Corryton, Tennessee, but later married and moved to a neighboring county. After 26 years and a divorce, I decided that I really wanted to return home.
I bought a small, run-down, house nearly a century old, and began working to bringing it back to life. Aside from a little family help, I did this largely on my own.
While working on my house, I had several neighbors stop by to compliment my work and efforts in restoring this little house. Those neighbors, and many others, later returned to offer their assistance with whatever my current project may be, much to my great appreciation.
Stories About Corryton
My neighbor Tommy has come over in the dead of winter to fix my plumbing when the pipes froze; help me clear brush; and assist me in building my chicken coop. He has helped me build raised beds for my garden, as well as a fence to protect it. He even built and installed a clothesline for me, and his entire family has been very kind and friendly to me since my move.
Another neighbor, Mark, used his tractor to level my property so it would be mowable, and worked the land around my pond to allow for better water flow. His family has been extremely sweet to me as well.
Many other neighbors have been happy to offer a helping hand. They even made me homemade candies for Christmas.
I didn’t know a single person when I moved here a year ago, and now I feel as though my neighbors are family – and not a single person has been willing to accept payment for the hours and hours of labor spent on my property.
Having grown up in Corryton, I knew the people here were supportive and friendly. My elementary school principal, Bob Martin, helped me all throughout grade school, and even got me my first job. He has been retired for years, and still helps the community by running the town food bank for needy families.
That neighborly attitude is exactly the reason I came back to my little hometown – [but] I honestly didn’t expect to find this degree of neighborly love when I returned. The support and welcoming attitude of my new neighbors has been a reminder to me that there are still many friendly, helpful people in Corryton. This will forever be my hometown.
Reprinted with permission from Reader’s Digest. To learn more about GNN’s part in searching for the Top 10 Nicest Places, click here.
Share The Sweet Story Of Community With Your Friends – Photos by Tammy Bacon
In a stirring gesture of unity and compassion, several British Muslim groups took out a full-page ad in the newspaper to voice their opposition to anti-Semitism.
In giant, bold black text across the top, the ad read: “We Muslims have one word for Jews. Shalom.”
“As British Muslims, we believe that the time has come to speak out. For far too long, anti-Semitism has gone unchecked,” the ad continued. “Eradicating it is a challenge faced by all of us.
“We understand that many in our country empathize with the Palestinians and their right to a sovereign state. However, we must be ever vigilant against those who cynically use international issues to vilify Jews or promote anti-Semitic tropes. There is no cause that can justify the promotion of hate.”
“Just as we challenge those who recycle anti-Muslim tropes, we stand firmly against racism directed at our Jewish sisters and brothers.”
The ad, which was published in the Telegraph on Thursday, was signed by such major advocacy groups as anti-extremism group Faith Matters; Muslims Against Anti-Semitism; and the Association of British Muslims.
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the statement was a welcomed follow-up to the Board of Deputies of British Jews denouncing Islamophobia last week.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews expressed their appreciation for the ad on Twitter, saying: “Incredible solidarity – a full-page ad by Muslim sisters and brothers in today’s Telegraph. Thank you. Together we will defeat the twin evils of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate.”
Share The Inspiring Story Of Peace On Social Media – Photo by the Board of Deputies of British Jews
In 1988, Ben Lecomte became the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean – and now, 30 years later, he wants to become the first person to successfully swim across the Pacific.
Lecomte is set to leave from the coast of Choshi, Japan on Sunday and spend the next 6 to 8 months swimming the 5,500-mile distance to San Francisco. The athlete hopes that the incredible transcontinental quest will raise awareness for oceanic health and the real dangers of water pollution.
The Frenchman has been training for the endeavor over seven years by swimming 6 hours every day. Over the course of his expedition, however, he will swim a full 8 hour day and sleep on a boat piloted by his crew.
The boats that will escort him are equipped with technology that will repel sharks and predators. His special wet suit is designed to withstand chilly waters, which may drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).
Lecomte’s journey, which is being called “The Swim,” will be live-streamed by Discovery and shared on social media so viewers can follow Lecomte every step of the way. The footage will end up in a feature-length documentary to be released in 2019.
The feat will be documented and measured by the scientific publishing platform Seeker. Lecomte has also partnered with 27 research institutes, including NASA and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, to collect over 1,000 samples of water and maritime specimens along the way. The specimens will be collected by the 8-person crew that is looking after Lecomte on his trip.
“The mission of my historic swim is to bring to light the current state of our oceans,” said Ben Lecomte. “The research we collect during ‘The Swim’ will ultimately help us better protect our oceans and I’m excited to partner with Seeker and Discovery to bring this expedition and our findings to the world.”
“‘The Swim’ is an exciting opportunity to highlight the deep connection we all have with the ocean – and the importance to protect and cherish it” said Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder of Mission Blue and patron of expedition.
Fins crossed for a safe crossing!
(WATCH the trailer below)
If This Floats Your Boat, Share it With Your Friends – Photo by Bongaj
Quote of the Day: “Happiness is as contagious as gloom. It should be the duty of those who are happy to let others know of their gladness.” – Maurice Maeterlinck
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?
This story was submitted as a nomination to the Reader’s Digest “Top 10 Nicest Places in America” contest: a crowd-sourced effort to uncover nooks where people are still kind and respectful in an era of cultural and political divides. If you know of a community, business, or nonprofit where kindness prevails, then be sure to submit a testimony or anecdote here before the June 5th deadline.
The Vermont Flower Farm is owned and operated by two of the nicest, most kind-hearted people on the face of this earth.
Their names are George and Gail Africa and they have an autistic son whose name is Alex Africa. George just turned 70-years-old this past April, but you would never know it.
He and Gail have owned their five-acre flower farm for over 10 years now, but before they bought the land Route 2, they had a flower farm at their house on Peacham Pond, also in Marshfield.
I first met George and Gail about the time they started moving their farm to the Route 2 location from their home by Peacham Pond. A friend and I noticed that for a couple of days they had been making dozens and dozens of trips back and forth by our home. My friend suggested that we let them borrow our trailer and we started helping them move. After they were moved to their new location, I began visiting them on a daily basis. They are a very welcoming couple, and we formed an unbreakable friendship right away.
Without getting into too much detail, my severe depression began to act up again and the Africas noticed. They slowly but deliberately took me under their wing so they could try to pull me out of it and get me the help I needed. The flower farm, along with George and Gail, soon became my saving grace as they have for many others over the past years. They and the farm not only pulled me from my depression after a long, hard journey, but also they and the farm literally saved my life.
A similar situation happened to a now-mutual friend of ours. This friend was going through a bout of depression, but noticed that when she would visit the flower farm, pull some weeds, and plant some flowers, her mood would lift.
She and I used the flower farm as a “therapy” tool at the suggestion of George and Gail.
For the past couple of years, we have both become better people thanks to George, Gail and the flower farm. The Africas have had thousands of customers return every year, not necessarily to purchase any of their day lilies, hosta, blueberry bushes, peonies, astilbe, etc., but to just sit down, relax, and visit the nicest place and the two nicest people anyone could ever meet.
Reprinted with permission from Reader’s Digest. To learn more about GNN’s part in searching for the Top 10 Nicest Places, click here.
Plant Some Positivity With Your Friends And Share This Sweet Story – Photo by Michelle Gibson
