These wholesome stories are intended to make you feel good about yourself and about the world we live in. Sure, the media and news often give us a different impression, but that doesn’t mean the brighter side doesn’t exist. With a little dose of internet hugs and maybe some riddles along the way, here’s a reminder that kindness and love are still very real.
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1. Single mom dressed up like a dad so that her son wouldn't miss his father at school event.
This single mother, Yevette Vasquez, was one day dropping her son at school when she saw many cars parked outside the school. She asked her son Elijah what was going on. He explained that his school had a "Donuts with Dad" breakfast event where dads and sons pair up and eat breakfast.
Without any further hesitation, Yevette decided to accompany her son by dressing up as a dad. She drove them home, dressed up as a dad, put on a baseball cap, and even wore a fake moustache.
Both of them went to school and attended the event together. "I know seeing other dads with their kids isn't easy for mine, but it's life," she said. "But at least I can do whatever it takes to put a smile on his face."
This mum’s problem solving turned a hard time into a memory her son will never forget. It’s the kind of twist life throws at us, almost like a riddle with a surprising answer.
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2. 75-year-old man felt lonely after losing his wife to cancer. So he put a message on his window looking for a friend to talk to.
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| Image credits: South West News Service |
His wife, Jo, died at the age of 75, just 9 days after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, leaving Tony Williams, 75, to experience the 'curse' of loneliness. Having no children definitely adds to his loneliness. He would sit by the phone waiting for it to ring, but it never does.
He also put an advertisement in the newspaper for £120 looking for someone to talk to but never got replies. When nothing worked, Tony decided to put up a poster in his window that says he's looking for friends.
"Not very many people pass my house, but I was hoping it would spread around the community, and someone might reach out."
"Jo was my best friend and we had a lovely life. But now I'm all by myself. My wonderful wife has just died, and I have nobody. I just want a friend, and I hope my sign will find someone for me."
"Jo was my best friend and we had a lovely life. But now I'm all by myself. My wonderful wife has just died, and I have nobody. I just want a friend, and I hope my sign will find someone for me."
After seeing the poster, Tony has been flooded with phone calls and emails from thousands of people, asking him to be their pal. People from America, Germany, Holland, Australia, Egypt, India, and Japan have been in touch, inviting him on road trips to the U.S. or for an afternoon drinking gin and tonics.
"They’ve sent me pictures of their kids, their pets, told me about their aspirations, and told me they are thinking of me.
“I got an email from a local teacher asking if children in her class could write me letters. I got in touch with her straight away and said it would be delightful. I would love that.
"When I started responding, they were coming in thick and fast. I would say about four or five a minute.
“The thing is, I can’t respond now, as my email account seems to have crashed. A red message came up saying there was some sort of error and it needs to be reset.”
Just like Tony wanted someone to speak to, this 70-year-old was tired of people rarely stopping to talk to each other. So he set up a sign that read ‘Here to listen.’
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3. America’s longest married couple, who eloped in 1932, celebrated their 81st anniversary in 2013.
John and Ann Betar eloped as a dating couple on Nov 25, 1932, from Syria after learning that Ann's father was trying to marry her off to a man 20 years older. To avoid her father's plans, she and John decided to elope from Syria to New York. They haven’t looked back since.
In 2013, the married couple were given the title "longest married couple in America" as they celebrated their 81st wedding anniversary.
"I had no choice but to elope because my father was set on me marrying a much older man, and I was 17. John, 21, was not the boy next door, but the boy across the street who I loved," said Ann.
The day they got married, the Great Depression in America was in full swing. "We have watched the world change together," said John Betar. "The key is to always agree with your wife."
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4. Dedicated husband spends his date nights outside hospital as his wife waits to give birth.
Shona Moeller was 29 weeks pregnant and, due to complications, she was asked to have bed rest at a Chicago-area hospital while waiting for her first son's birth.
But due to Covid-19, the hospital wouldn't allow Bob to visit Shona at the hospital. At first, they communicated through FaceTime. But that wasn't enough. So Bob started visiting her at the window.
Their journey shows that even when circumstances keep people apart, love finds a way to stay close, just as it happened for this Filipina girl who married her shoe-box donor, despite 7000 miles away.
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5. Mailman delivers beloved dog's ashes and comforts the grieving owner.
A touching moment was captured on a doorbell camera when a Wisconsin mailman brought mail to a grieving woman's doorstep but also sat down to hug her.
Krysten Klapatauskas had just lost her German Shepherd, named Stoli, due to cancer. One day, while waiting for mail, she received a package from someone who had also grown close to the dog — the mailman, Malachi Knox.
The package contained the dog's ashes. But what made this moment meaningful was that it was carried by someone who knew and had a bond with Stoli. Knox had known Stoli over the years through his daily route.
So at the time of delivery, he didn't just drop the box off and walk away. He sat down next to Krysten and shared a tearful hug on the steps with her.
It's clear that this mailman knew the pain of losing a loved one, more specifically, a fluffy friend.
"It brought me peace that he was the one who delivered her to me," said Krysten.
This reminded us of the time when this 33 year old Uber driver decided to donate his kidney to a desperate 71 year old passenger. Aren’t people amazing?
It costs $0 to show compassion and kindness to someone, but it may mean the world to them. Sure, the bias will continue to exist: not knowing that everyone around us is going through something. But wholesome stories like these are proof that we don't live for ourselves, but for each other.
Send story ideas, facts, correction, or kind thoughts to hello@nostalgicgrandma.com.
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