On A Happier Note

Just a heads up - we're down in Utah until Wednesday, so my posting is most likely going to be sporadic. I have a few ideas that I'm still working out, but be patient

It's pretty sad out there. I'm looking at the latest headlines from the best news website, The Drudge Report, and here's what he's got on there:

NYC lawyer suing DELTA for $5 million over stressful flight...
Cancer chief sees cell phone risks...
Airport Shock: TSA Agents Force Woman To Remove Nipple Rings; Pull Down Pants Of Disabled Man...
Bank Accused Of Giving Counterfeit Money To Customers...
Man jailed after allegedly stealing 42-cents from mall fountain...
TOYOTA beats GM in worldwide sales... (sad one for my dad, who's a 20 year GM worker)

And that's just a few of them. But I was laying in bed thinking about some happy stories that we as a people need to hear.

1. We bought our kitties from a Four Paws shelter. This woman rescues kittens from pounds, where they would be put to sleep, and nurses them back to health and tries to give them to good homes. She told us about how particular she can be, because these kitties become her babies, and she wants them to have a good life. Luckily we passed her test, but she told us about a trip to Idaho Falls she had taken. She had gotten contacted by someone who was interested in having a kitten. As she got the directions, and drove down there, she noticed it was in kind of a rough area. She looked at her kitty and told her "Don't worry, I'm not going to let him take you, we're going to go back to Rexburg, don't worry, I'm not going to give you to him." She finds his apartment, and before she walks in his door, she notices it's kind of run down. Frankly, it's an apartment that a single man has if he doesn't have a lot going in his life. This man invited her into his apartment, and she immediately noticed that he had a biker's look to him (long hair, scraggly beard, a bit overweight). She talked with him, and as she talked, her heart was softened. He proudly showed her that he went to the store, bought his new kitten a kitty litter box, a food and water dish, a place for the kitty to sleep, and toys. He seemed so worried that the kitty would like it, if there was something that he was missing, and if this would be ok. As she told us this story, she was half in tears as she humbly stated to us that at first glance, she didn't think this guy would be right for her baby. But as she realized how much he cared about this new addition to his family, and how alone he really was (he was 35, dead-end job, and looking for company), she knew that he needed the kitty more than the kitty needed him. He now has totally cleaned up (clean-shaven, short hair), and her statement was "That little kitten saved his life, and gave him something to look forward to every day. That kitty depended on him, which made his life worth something."

Moral: Find something that makes your life worth living. Whether it be a little kitty who depends on you and loves you, or a family who can't wait to see daddy come home, your life is precious to someone


NOTE: This is what was told to me by Ashley, so any mistakes in historical facts can be attributed to her
2. This is an Ashley story. When her younger sister Emily was first learning to ride a bike, she was riding on the neighborhood street. it was the first time she did not wear her helmet. A little girl, on another bike, got in a collision with Emily, knocking her to the ground. She ended up with a concussion, and spent the night at the hospital. She had a stuffed animal that comforted her during the dark lonely hours at the hospital. She was pretty messed up. Her face was scratched and beat up, but that wasn't the hardest part. She kept crying, and one of the things she said was "I don't want to be here! I don't want to eat breakfast here! I want to eat pancakes with peanut butter!" (it's OK to laugh there). Ashley's mom and her were at Young Women's Conference, and everyone was trying to call them, but their cell phone was turned off. Ashley's mom stayed with her all night, and Emily wasn't happy because they kept waking her up every few hours to check her vitals. She was released with a mild concussion, and was allowed to go home the next day. A few years later, Emily (10 years old) still hadn't forgotten how much the teddy bear was comforting to her while she was at the hospital. She earned and collected as much money as she could that year, and went to the dollar store, and bought as many stuffed animals as she could. She took 2 garbage sacks full of stuffed animals to the hospital for other children, so they wouldn't feel lonely in the hospital.

Moral: Don't forget the little things that get you through, and don't forget the impact it could have on others


3. This is one quite dear to my heart. A guy gets shut up in the hospital for 8 days. He's half a country away from his family, can't move his leg, and is being monitored every day for death. He has to learn how to walk again, has to learn how to curl his toes, and flex his ankle. He can't even get up himself to go to the bathroom. A dear friend comes up, and helps him. This friend moves his leg 2 cm when it gets uncomfortable. This friend buys him pizza because he's sick of hopsital food. The friend spends every night sleeping on a couch in his hospital room, wondering if he's ever gonig to have a normal life again. The friend wakes up in the morning, goes to a cousin's to shower and clean up, and drives back to make sure he's all right.

He gets released, and can barely make his way back into his apartment. The friend goes shopping for him. The friend cleans for him. The friend does his laundry, drives him back and forth to physical therepy, and has to watch him get the snot kicked out of him while he tries to walk. The friend has to watch him fight of fatigue and pain for 3 long weeks, all while sleeping on a couch at the cousins because that's the only place that was available.

That friend was my wife Ashely. That person was me. And I will never forget what she did for me.

Moral: When a friend like that comes into your life and makes and life-impacting effect on you, don't let that friend get away.

If you have any stories to add, please email me at brandt(dot)malone(at)gmail(dot)com. I'll try to make a weekly post of three feel-good stories every week.

:-)