Top 5 Feel Goods 8.14.20

Hope y’all had a great week so far! These are some of the news items this week that made me smile! Hope they make you smile too. Happy FriYAY!

I absolutely love animal sanctuaries. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting two in upstate NY and they are just wonderful places for farm animals and all animals to live out their lives. This story of Christopher Vane opening a sanctuary for abused animals in honor of his mother who passed away is so heartwarming. He has saved and cared for over 150 farm animals! Read the entire story here and check out the Little Bear Sanctuary Instagram for some really cute content of these rescue sweeties.

2. Zalia Avant-Garde is a very impressive 13 year old! Not only did she win the first ever Kaplan Online Spelling Bee, but she’s also a talented basketball player and holds a Guinness World Record title for most bounce juggles in one minute! You have to see what word got her the spelling bee win. Check out the full story here. Way to go Zalia!!!

Photo: Zaila Avant-Garde via Instagram | @basketballasart

3. World Elephant Day took place Wednesday, August 12th to bring awareness to these beautiful creatures. Some good news about these gentle giants is the Kenya elephant population has more than doubled in the last three decades!!! John Waweru, director of Kenya’s Wildlife Service announced that between 1989 and 2019, Kenya’s population of African elephants grew from about 16,000 to more than 34,000! Proud of Kenya cracking down on smugglers and ivory poachers! Find out more here.

4. I thnk we can all agree on how valuable and important teachers are and how they can serve to be heroes in children’s lives. This special education teacher in Mexico turned her pick-up truck into a classroom for her students with disabilities such as autism after school was canceled due to covid. She drives two hours to visit them (several who don’t have books or the internet) and teaches one on one being careful with masks and hand sanitizer. This story made me good cry! What a giving and kind soul. Read more.

5. This was a pretty popular news item this week, but had to include because its just too good! Thanks to Tim and Fred Williams, two 22-year-old twin brothers who film and upload their reactions listening to music they've never heard on their YouTube channel Twins React, they got Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” back on the charts! This is 40 years after it’s original release. At the 4:56 mark when they hear the drums come in full force is the BEST. Their video listening to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and Abba’s “Dancing Queen” you should also check out!