The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to get caught up in the spin cycle and let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week, we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
This week’s Something Good is all about how granting a simple request can be part of a shower of blessings.
First, we have Joe Cuba, AKA GI Joe, in Wichita Falls, Texas who celebrated his 100th birthday yesterday. The WWII vet sent out a message on Facebook requesting 100 cards for his centennial birthday.
As of yesterday, he had received more than 3,500 cards and 150 gifts. Brookdale Midwestern, the assisted living facility where Joe resides, has been giving updates about Joe and his flood of mail and visitors.
From the looks of things, Joe was blessed with a wonderful birthday celebration. If you’d like to send a card to GI Joe Cuba, you can send it to: 918 Midwestern Parkway, Wichita Falls, TX 76302
Our second story of a flood of blessings is on the other end of the age spectrum.
Emma Mertens, a seven-and-a-half year-old dog lover from Wisconsin, has a rare and incurable form of cancer, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. The tumor is inoperable because of the location on her brain stem.
A month ago, her family and friends decided to ask for pictures of dogs and letters written “by” the dogs. Emma loves dogs and is cheered up when she sees a cute dog picture.
The original Facebook post asking for well wishes from pups went viral and Emma has received more than 80,000 pictures of the cute dogs that make her giggle. Emma has received so many well wishes, in fact, that her family is overwhelmed with the outpouring of love. Their dining room is filled with cards for Emma, they’ve created a P.O. box because their mailbox was overflowing, and their email inbox is overflowing as well.
They have now asked for the pictures to be shared on the Facebook page they created and that, in lieu of sending gifts, people touched by Emma’s story should share kindness with strangers in both big and small ways.
Emma has received pictures from around the world and people have even volunteered to fly their dogs in to visit Emma. A GoFundMe was also started to help the family with medical bills and quickly passed the goal of $100,000, according to CNN.
If you would like to send Emma a pic of your dog and some well wishes, you can go to Team Emma’s Facebook page.
The pictures and messages help cheer Emma up when she is not feeling well or tired from her recent round of radiation. Her dad, Geoff, says they won’t know for a few weeks if her radiation treatment has affected Emma’s tumor but her double vision has decreased and she has more mobility, so they are hopeful.
Emma’s mom told CNN, “It’s just incredibly overwhelming in a very good way to see so many strangers take a couple of minutes out of their day to put a smile on my daughter’s face. Kindness is real. The love is real. That’s what’s amazing about all of this.”
A moment of kindness – a card, a Facebook message, a thoughtful gift – can mean the world to someone in need of a pick-me-up. The power to put a smile on someone’s face, whether they are a big-hearted seven year-old dog lover or a beloved 100 year-old WWII vet, is Something Good.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good!
