40 Days of Good News: Epilogue

Photo by Tricia Griffith

I spent the last few weeks trying to adjust my focus a bit. The constant barrage of violence, suffering, and hateful politics had kind of reached a point for me where my already elevated stress levels were reaching overload. I needed some good news, and maybe a lot of it.

The arrival of the Christian season of Lent was my inspiration for 40 Days of Good News. Instead of giving up chocolate (inconceivable!!) or something like that for 40 days, I just wanted to dial back how much I looked at the news and went on an angry tirade or felt horror or despair. I wanted to know – despite the media barrage of bad news – good things were still happening in the world.

Good things are still happening in the world, though it might be kind of hard to tell. While it wasn’t impossible, I found it depressingly difficult to find the kind of good news I was looking for. I wanted to go beyond the light, cheery news of dogs getting reunited with their humans and cats having cool jobs. Yes, I did find one cat with a cool job. I also shared a fair amount of news about animals and nature because those are things that make me happy.

What was I looking for in terms of good news? I was looking for stories of people making a positive differences to each other and our planet. I was looking for signs that Earth isn’t hurtling towards mass destruction. I was searching for people who care about something. I wanted to get past racism, hatred, violence and pain. In addition, I added in a few things that maybe help readers find a little bit of hope and peace of their own, whether it’s good news around chocolate, meditation, or massage.

The ugly didn’t stop during these 40 days, of course. I didn’t stop watching the news or reading things that made me angry. Trying to live a positive life doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be wine and roses. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t people out there living hateful, angry lives that are bound to bump into yours on a regular basis. All we can do is look for the positive in a situation or look somewhere else, and do what we can to spread hope, peace, change, and maybe a little education along the way.

May you continue to find even just a little good news each day …

Love & Light ~ Tricia

 

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Good News Day 40: Benefits of Massage – Not Just an Indulgence!

As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into the moment. The smell of sage fills the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist’s hands. The pains of age, the throbbing from your overstressed muscles, the sheer need to be touched — all cry out for therapeutic hands to start their work. Once the session gets underway, the problems of the world fade into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all you can comprehend right now is not wanting it to end.

But what if that hour of massage did more for you than just take the pressures of the day away?

Read more here: Benefits of Massage || Massage Therapy Articles

Good News Day 39: Some US Companies Now Offer Pet Bereavement Days To Employees

Several national companies are now coming up with a solution to help its employees cope up with the pain of losing a pet.

Source: Some US Companies Now Offer Pet Bereavement Days To Employees

Good News Day 38: Tesco to Give All Unsold Food to Charity in its 800 UK Supermarkets

The third largest retailer in the world has taken a revolutionary step towards ending hunger in Europe.

Source: Tesco to Give All Unsold Food to Charity in its 800 UK Supermarkets

Good News Day 37: Homeless Man Protects Young Woman, Changes Her Outlook On Life

When a young woman found herself stranded on dark streets, a homeless man found her a safe place to stay and changed her outlook toward the less fortunate.

Source: Homeless Man Protects Young Woman, Changes Her Outlook On Life

Good News Day 36: 10-year-old girl creates ‘chemo kits’ for kids with cancer to honor late aunt

Madeline Domian remembers how sick her Aunt Kathi looked when she would visit her in the hospital.

“I didn’t think anyone would ever want to be that sick, especially kids, because all they want to do is play and have fun,” Madeline, 10, told TODAY.com.

After her aunt — Kathi Reinhold, aka “Katiedo” — passed away on Sept. 1 from gastric cancer at 65 years old, Madeline came up with the idea to create chemotherapy kits for kids fighting cancer.

Read more here: http://www.today.com/health/10-year-old-girl-creates-chemo-kits-kids-cancer-honor

Good News Day 35: Soup Kitchen Is Set Up Like A Restaurant So Homeless Can Dine With Dignity

One organization has souped up the traditional soup kitchen.

Kansas City Community Kitchen in Kansas City, Missouri, serves food restaurant-style to homeless people, a process which includes greeters, waiters and a side of respect.

Read more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kansas-city-community-kitchen-restaurant-style-soup-homeless

Good News Day 34: New Procedure Allows Kidney Transplants From Any Donor

Thousands of patients languish on organ donor waiting lists because their immune systems would reject any transplanted organ that is not a match–until now.

Source: New Procedure Allows Kidney Transplants From Any Donor

Good News Day 33: What This Man Does For Cats In Syria Is A Little Glimpse Of Kindness

via Reuters / Daily Mail

In Syria, under the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, the war that broke out has caused the majority of those living there to flee, leaving their pets alone and abandoned.

Many stray cats roam the streets of Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city and are left with nothing to eat. One man, however, has changed that.

Read more here: http://diply.com/shoko/article/kind-syria-cat-helper

Good News Day 32: Australian Tattoo Artist Offers to Cover Up Self-Harm Scars For Free

This young woman’s tattoos aren’t just incredibly beautiful – they’re also incredibly meaningful to people wanting to move beyond their past.

Source: Australian Tattoo Artist Offers to Cover Up Self-Harm Scars For Free