Last week painted a vivid stream of what seemed to be one horrific film after the other for the whole world to witness. Whether it was the photographs of the Boston bombings displayed on Twitter, the first-hand video coverage of the Texas plant explosion on the Internet, or just the unknowingness of when it would all end – The world, eyes glued to social media feeds, TV news, was, plainly, saddened.
TIME however made an interesting point in a recent article that, in my opinion, reiterated how people can always seem to find a glimmer of light or hope at the end of a very dark tunnel. After 911, and after last week’s endless terrors, sometimes it’s important to grip the good, and hold it tight.
In addition to TIME’s list of the wonderful, inspiring things that happened last week – Here are a few, more recent incidents that will hopefully help everyone dealing with the aftermath realize that there is always “light amid the darkness.”
1. Earth Day Brought People Together
People gathered nationwide yesterday to celebrate Earth Day. Celebrities, institutions and major corporations spoke highly of Earth’s personal holiday and the importance of going green. On Twitter, people used the hashtag #EarthDay, among others, to show their support for Mother Earth.
2. Awareness and a Second Chance
The Washington Post shed light on a little girl named Bhawana Thami from the Nepali village of Dushikharka who was born with a rare disease, which left the girl with abnormal hair growth that covered half of her face. If untreated, it could become cancerous. Luckily, with the help of Narendra Shrestha’s photographs of the young girl’s condition, awareness of the disease is now being spread and discussed. Miss Bhawana has undergone surgical procedures, which has completely removed the unwanted hair, but she still has a procedure to go. She is finally on the road to a whole new life.
3. A Furry Friend Gets a Home
With the help of the Kauai Humane Society in Hawaii, lost, abandoned and abused dogs get a second chance. The humane society reaches out to people who would be able to take the pups across the Pacific to a better, safer environment. One tourist fell in love with Grady, a unique four-legged friend, who never got any attention or even visitors from anyone who came into the shelter. But when Martin Sprouse saw Grady, he couldn’t bare to leave without the furry friend by his side.
Read more of the coloradoan.com story.
4. Girl Scouts and Their Cookies
A Girl Scout Troop sold 9,082 boxes of cookies to raise funds for charity, according to Phyllis Zorn from Enid News. The Troop gave a whopping $1,000 to the Enid Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The young ladies were able to meet executive director of Enid SPCA, Vicki Grantz in which they were able to ask questions about animal care and wellness.
5. I Repeat, Smartphones in Orbit
NASA successfully launched three smartphone satellites to space Sunday. According to NASA, “the trio of ‘PhoneSats’ is operating in orbit, and may prove to be the lowest-cost satellites ever flown in space.” NASA continues to explain that their goal “is to determine whether a consumer-grade smartphone can be used as the main flight avionics of a capable, yet very inexpensive, satellite.” As of yesterday, all three “PhoneSats” are operating normally. Cheers to technological advancements.
Do you have an inspirational story you’d be willing to share?
