__
,,A definition not found in the dictionary : Not leaving – an act of trust and love, often deciphered by children” – Markus Zusak
By virtue of these words, stay awhile. We’ll tell you a story. We’ll show you something. After you.
You see it in the news all the time. The bad things around the world. We’re not going to do that. We’ll show you something special and we hope that by the time you reach the end, you’ll smile and pass it along.
You had a good year, you had a bad one or as Dickens said: ,,It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. We saw and lived through a lot of things and as the year draws to a close we tend to reflect on what came out of it. Was it worth it? Maybe I’ll do things differently next year. Most of us are making plans for the holidays and 2013. We think upon things that can’t be changed and those that we can, we get nostalgic and we take stock of things.
In view of this, we wanted to share something with anybody who wants to know that people around the world changed it into a brighter place for everybody. The curtain falls and here they are:
1. In Argentine, Susana Trimarco saved 900 women while searching for her missing daughter. They say those who save a life, save the world. Susana did it 900 times. Here’s her story.
_2. Father and son team (Jesse Shaffer and James Shaffer) save 120 people in 12 hours during Hurricane Isaac. That’s a life every 5 minutes. Find out why they were so determined. _
3. Mother saves her three year old daughter by checking her symptoms on her smartphone. Go Mom! Here’s how she did it.
4. In China, an 88 year old woman saves 30 abandoned infants. Reminds us of that Tennyson passage: ,,Old age hath yet his honour and his toil [...], Some work of noble note, may yet be done/ Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods”. We take a reverent bow. Learn more here.
5. A young japanese man jumps onto the subway tracks to save an elderly man who fell by accident in Tokyo. Despite the fact that the next train could arrive in any second, he jumped down and lifted him to safety. Here’s his story.
6. In Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, Pushpa Basnet pulled children out of prisons and gave them a new life and hope. She helped more than 100 children by giving them a future. She could not forget and leave it be. This is her reason.
7. A six year old child saves his friend using the Heimlich maneuver before learning how to count to 10. Tis true indeed that they give us more than we could possibly imagine.
8. In South Africa, Thulani Madondo grew up in poverty and faced challenges unending. Not only did he overcame them, but when he grew up, he established the Kliptown Youth Program which provides school uniforms, tutoring, meals and activities to 400 children in the community.
9. In New York City, a woman gave hope to another through one of the most ancient and simplest gestures of hope. She hugged her. We want to give you a hug as well! Here’s her story.
To just say thank you to them for being alive would be a huge understatement. Nevertheless we say it : Thank you!!!
__Just two more thoughts to share. You don’t need to jump in front of a train or to save a thousand people to be a hero. They are everywhere. Those people who don’t sleep at all, go to work with heavy eyes and still smile at you and say ,,Good morning”. Children who throw a snowball in your face and grin at you. Those that tell you a story and give meaning at the end of the day. Those who suddenly hug you for no reason and therefore give reason. The list is fortunately endless and we hope to add to it every day.
If you’ve reached this line, then we’re going to give you a free hug! If you haven’t, we’re still going to do it. We wish you Happy Holidays, good laughs and fuzzy memories to come. If you’re still unsure, all you have to do is share these stories and give someone a priceless gift. The common denominator of all heroes is that they shared with others. Be one of them!
And in that note, we leave you with a question : Can you share us the stories of people whom, when no one asked them to, made an act of kindness and compassion? And don’t forget about your own tale! Let’s make a list so long and make it into a feature story!
Stay tuned, share a like and our newsletter is brewing coffee for you as we speak.
