The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to 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.
On April 28, 1945, Meri Mion was ready to celebrate her 13th birthday, amid the fighting near her hometown of San Pietro, Italy, near Vincenza, according to the AP. Her mother and Meri had spent the previous night hiding in the attic of their farmhouse as the battle raged. The Germans had fired on the farm, but Meri awoke on her birthday to American soldiers driving the Germans out.
It was one of the final battles of WWII and American soldiers were greeted happily by the locals, who gave them bread and wine in appreciation. Meri’s mother baked her a birthday cake and put it in the window to cool.
There begins today’s something good, because apparently a hungry American soldier, or soldiers, spirited that cake away and ate it. The cake never made it to Meri.
She turned 90 in April and the Pentagon decided it was time to rectify the wrong done to her all those years ago. In a ceremony 77 years after her cake was stolen by “resourceful” soldiers, the US Army had a ceremony where onlookers sang “Happy Birthday” to Meri in both Italian and English and a cake was presented to her.
Sgt. Peter Wallis said replacing the pilfered property made him “feel great” although it was “a little awkward”, according to the BBC. Col. Matthew Gomlak spoke of the bond between America and the people of Vicenza, where 19 American soldiers were wounded or died in the battle with the Nazis and where the “warm welcome by the people of Vincenza continues to this day.”
Meri appeared shocked and overwhelmed that her 13th birthday cake was being replaced and she murmured “Grazi” and “mama mia” as she was honored by Italian officials and American commanders.
She said, “Tomorrow, we will eat that dessert, with all my family remembering this wonderful day that I will never forget.”
Making amends is a something good. It’s never too late to try and make amends, even 77 years later and may all who are offered an olive branch be as welcoming as Meri was with her cake.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good!
