Pause. Breathe. Relax.
We invite you to take a moment to release your attachments to unpleasant situations from the past week. Welcome a new week with an unwavering spirit.
Say yes to new adventures!
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru
Let the following stories inspire you to embrace new possibilities.
- A teen inspires others with his voice
- A therapy turtle makes clinic visits more comfortable for young patients
- An initiative promotes active travel to school
- High school students help make their school custodian’s dream a reality (This one made me tear up)
Positively Uplifting Stories | October 7th, 2024
This teenager is winning hearts with his mesmerizing voice.
Sawyer McCarthy’s voice has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world.
The 13-year-old went viral after performing the national anthem at a Minor League Baseball game in South Carolina.
Sawyer has always had a love for music. He doesn’t let his disability keep him from fulfilling his potential.
Sawyer says he sings to bring joy and put smiles on other peoples’ faces.
“We realized that the way Sawyer communicates best is through music. He’s always, always had a knack for hearing noises that even we don’t notice,” said his mom, Brianna McCarthy.
Timmy the therapy turtle helps children relax before their medical appointments.
Medical appointments can be quite daunting for young patients.
That’s why pediatrician Louise Woodward is using an adorable turtle to make the clinic environment more comfortable for children.
Before she rescued him, Timmy was an abandoned turtle who’d been deemed unable to survive in the wild.
Now, Timmy loves interacting with people. He offers great therapeutic value to children coming in for their appointments. Timmy immediately captures the young patients’ attention, helps them relax, and builds their confidence.
“Jasmine battles with pain every day. And, you know, being able to hold Timmy and cuddle Timmy … it can be really helpful for her pain and certainly for her anxiety, to be able to focus on Timmy,” said Louise.
Bike bus movement is transforming communities and the planet.
‘Bike bus’ refers to the act of riding bikes to school together.
Parents accompany their children, joining others at various points along their way to school.
The bike bus movement is gaining momentum in many parts of the world! It is a healthy and sustainable mode of transportation that helps children embrace physical activity while contributing to a cleaner environment.
When South Portland residents Rose Devlin and Stefan Apse came up with the idea of starting a bike bus in their neighborhood, other parents gladly agreed to join in.
“I think there are many benefits to it; certainly, to the kids, energy-wise and physical and social bonding, but it also makes you think about bike and pedestrian traffic and crossways and how we can improve the safety of biking to schools or just around town,” said Stefan.
A group of high school students surprised their school custodian with his dream car.
A group of students at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia gave their favorite school custodian, Francis Apraku the surprise of a lifetime.
Francis shares a warm relationship with his students. After learning of his dream of owning a car, the group set up a fundraiser to buy his favorite car Jeep Wrangler for his birthday to show their appreciation for all that he does.
“If we had a bad day, he’d be the first guy to be like, ‘Hey, are you OK?’ and we’re like, hey, let’s do something nice for him,” said student Bennett Hibshman.
The community came together to raise money for this wonderful gesture of kindness. They raised more than $22,000!
The surprise left Francis overjoyed. He expressed his gratitude for the generosity he was shown. He even ended up crying tears of joy and rolling around on the ground!
Have a Great Week Everyone!
And there you have it!
Don’t forget – we are always looking for more Uplifting Stories! If you have a tale to tell, or want to submit one for a future article, connect with us in the comments below, or through our Instagram page. We’d love to hear from you.
Have a great week everyone!
Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA
