Happy Sunday, dear friends. My husband’s family is rather large. He was the baby, in a gaggle of seven children. We always gather together, as many as we can, during the holidays.
Many of us have kids, and I think back to earlier gatherings, when they were all babies. The hopes and dreams we had for them, way back then, have been completely replaced with new ones. Most of our dreams, for our kids, were based on the dreams our parents instilled in us, to believe in and strive for.
Most of what we desired back then has been replaced with desires for a better world, a freer existence, and the ability to live a life filled with joy and an absence of struggle.
I watch all these kids, who have turned into young adults, in what seems like an instant. I see them poised on the edge of making a huge difference in this place we call home, and I am heartened by their enthusiasm. They have their own marvelous dreams, which have nothing at all to do with what we ever wished for them, and everything to do with what they wish for themselves and the world that is their future.
That alone makes me feel good, and sharing all this Feel Good News makes me feel even better!
Free hugs for the holidays.
“You don’t have to wait for the whole world to change, you can simply do what is available to you, however small, to pay it forward and make the world a better place.”
These are the words of Arie Moyal, who spends 2 weeks, every Christmas season, in various cities and transportation hubs, offering free hugs. Hugs are so important to our overall health and well-being.
Hugs don’t only feel good, science shows, the action of hugging releases relaxation and bonding hormones within the body, making us healthier. They are especially important during the holidays, when many are stressed or sad. Hugs can make a huge difference in someone’s day.
Enjoy this short documentary, created by Smile TV, all about Arie’s HugTrain, and how he came to offer this service as an annual pay it forward gift to the world.
Free Hugs with HugTrain’s Arie Moyal. A film by Carly Alyssa Thorne and Smile TV on Karmatube.
A kind offer from a homeless man, sets a young woman on a course to pay it forward in a huge way in the UK.
When 22-year old student, Dominique Harrison-Bentzen finished up a student night out, in Preston, England, at around 3am, she realized that she didn’t have enough money to take a cab home. She also had a dead phone battery, had been separated from her friends, and lost her bank card.
As she started to panic, a homeless man, named Robbie, came up to her and offered to help her. He reached in his pocket and gave her all the money he had in the world, so she could get home. She refused his offer, because she didn’t want to take all his money, and she found another way home, after thanking him.
The experience moved her so deeply, that she spent days driving around the area with her mother, trying to find Robbie, to thank him again. She also started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for Robbie and other area homeless.
She has since raised over £21,000 for area homeless, and hopes to have enough money to provide Robbie with an apartment and also support others in need. Sometimes, a small act of kindness can change someone’s life, and they in turn create big acts of kindness that can change the world.
The Candy Bomber receives a beautiful tribute from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Our dear Steve Beckow, sent me this video to share with you all. As a child, I remember my mother telling stories of growing up in England, during WWII, and the rationing that endured for many years after the war ended. It didn’t matter if you had money, food and goods were rationed, and most often people went without. While her experience was difficult, the situation could not have been worse than in West Berlin.
In this beautiful video, news anchor Tom Brokaw, narrates a story of heart-felt giving by an American airman during the Berlin Airlift, after the war. He and his friends dropped hope, friendship, and candy from heaven, to the children of West Berlin, and embodied the true compassionate human spirit.
When you see this man at the end of the video, at age 92, still smiling and healthy, you will see a divine being walking among us. I cried my eyes out, as I watched it with my daughter.
Rare footage of a Sperm Whale birth.
As a student of biology and a mother, I adore any footage of wild animal births. Sperm whales are some of the shyest creatures on the planet. They feed in extremely deep water, on giant squid, which takes them away from the surface for long periods of time.
This beautiful video shows a group of “midwife” whales, assisting a birthing mother during her labor, and it simply brings joy to my heart to see another beautiful whale come into the world, after they were pushed to the brink of extinction.
Amazing moment sperm whale gives birth surrounded by ‘midwives’ by Rebecca Perring for UK Express
And finally…
I just can’t get enough of Flashmobs!
My brother and his wife, are devoted Lindy Hop dancers and did a wonderful performance at their wedding reception. As a retired ballerina, myself, I know just how much work went into this beautifully choreographed flashmob dance number in Denver. The smiles on these young faces, along with the great dance moves, made my day.
Denver Airport holiday flashmob on Youtube
That’s the good news for today. Have a breathtaking day. My wonderful news partner, Gavin Harrill, will take over the Golden Gaia News Roundup until Thursday, when I look forward to visiting with you all again. I also send out New Year’s blessing to you all.
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex