Plowing through Hiccups

This little seven-year-old kid has the hiccups while singing the Australian anthem at an Australia baseball game. I was so worried that he would feel badly afterwards but instead the baseball team gives him supportive high fives afterwards, and the commentator is proud of the kid for plowing through. How different would our most embarrassing moments be if all we ever felt was support? This kid was composed, yes, but the way the team treated him afterward affected his overall experience.

https://www.ksl.com/article/46782521/have-you-seen-this-youngster-fights-through-hiccups-to-sing-australian-national-anthem

Massachusetts Police Surprise Four Year Old Boy for Christmas

While unfortunately there is a deep tragedy in this story - a little boy who lost his mother because she was stabbed and died - it warms my heart to think about the strangers that took it upon themselves to bring the little guy some joy this Christmas.

One of the police officers involved with the case, Dan Cantois, learned that the boy, Jaiden "JJ" Clifford, loved police, their cars, and their hats. Cantois reached out to other police units, and before he knew it, 10 police departments around the state were preparing something special to surprise JJ. The photo in this article is so precious. This is a little kid whose life changed in the blink of an eye.

You can read the full story at KSL here:
https://www.ksl.com/article/46695175/police-surprised-a-4-year-old-massachusetts-boy-for-christmas-after-his-mother-was-killed

The Power of Three - Strangers getting together to help other strangers!

I love stories about people pitching in to help strangers.

I just saw this in today's news about three vehicles that pull a city bus out of the snow:

Have You Seen This? 3 vehicles pull bus full of passengers up snowy hill
https://www.ksl.com/article/46475357/have-you-seen-this-3-vehicles-pull-bus-full-of-passengers-up-snowy-hill

And it reminded me of this story about 80 strangers that held hands to reach a young family that was trapped in a riptide in the ocean:

80 Strangers Form Human Chain to Rescue Family From Ocean Riptide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYCWT3CU0RE

Bainbridge Island mom overcome by random act of kindness

I love this story about a compassionate patron that recognized that this mother was doing the best she could with her upset child.

Bainbridge Island mom overcome by random act of kindness

This mother knows best

I love this story on KSL News about seven-year-old Zachary Becerra, who was so deeply hurt by the cruelty of someone that would shoot a cop that he started a big project to personally visit and thank cops at each precinct. He has visited over 70 precincts in New York, and given thank-you cards to 34,500 police officers.

Part of the beauty of this story isn't just the boy's project and that he's kept it up, but that his mother has accommodated and likely encouraged him in his pursuit, despite the sacrifice of time and research it is for her to drive him to each location each week. There are also the kind cops that are making such a strong impression on this boy by taking the time to visit with him and appreciate his efforts.

Nineteen-year-old rescues woman from burning car

I am so impressed with the young man in this article from CNN in Oregon. He broke a car window with his fist (wow!) then dragged a woman from burning car (wow!) right before the flames that were at the back of the car engulfed the front of the car.

The article tried to criticize the onlookers who did not help to rescue the women, but the fire enveloping the car was likely overwhelming to so many of them - which is why Phillipe Bittar's actions were so impressive! 

You can read the article here.

Mother Teresa and her Starfish

"A journalist once questioned Mother Teresa of Calcutta about her hopeless task of rescuing the destitute in that city. He said that, statistically speaking, she was accomplishing absolutely nothing. This remarkable little woman shot back that her work was about love, not statistics. Notwithstanding the staggering number beyond her reach, she said she could keep the commandment to love God and her neighbor by serving those within her reach with whatever resources she had. “What we do is nothing but a drop in the ocean,” she would say on another occasion. “But if we didn’t do it, the ocean would be one drop less [than it is].”⁹ Soberly, the journalist concluded that Christianity is obviously not a statistical endeavor. He reasoned that if there would be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety and nine who need no repentance, then apparently God is not overly preoccupied with percentages.^10"

"Are We Not All Beggars?"

Elder Jeffrey R Holland

October 2014