Weekly Uplifting Stories - Week of June 5th, 2023

Hello everyone and welcome back to our most delightful post of the week - Uplifting Stories! 

Have you started to notice more positive stories and news in your world?

Part of practicing mindfulness is learning to be present in the moment, but also to be intentional about your thoughts. If you are constantly looking for negativity (And don't give yourself proper boundaries to block it out), you will continue to see more of it. 

But! If you can start moving your mindset to a more positive way of seeing the world, you will likely begin to notice the good things more. It's not to say we should bury our heads in the sand when bad things happen, merely - don't forget that nothing is ever all bad or all good. 

This week, we've rounded up stories about: 

• Brave dogs training to help ski patrol with avalanche rescue
• A young woman who fosters over 30 children
• Two teens who survived bone cancer attend prom together
• A lovely 6-year-old boy with a simple morning routine

Training Brave Dogs to Help With Avalanche Rescue in the French Alps

We've all seen terrifying images of avalanches and the destruction they can cause. But did you know that dogs are often a big part of the rescue teams who go out to find people after one happens? 

In the French Alps, a ski patrol team works with dogs to train them in helping with avalanche rescue, working with them year-round to establish a close relationship, and allowing them to learn about the strenuous activity. 

Stash, a flat-coated Retriever, is one of the dogs being trained to follow the scent of someone needing help under the snow. 

"It's mostly about having a connection with the dog. I spend a lot of time with him when he's little, all the time." - Stash's trainer

23-Year-Old Woman Fosters Over 30 Children and Helps Her Community

23 year old Tusaiwe Munkhondya, from Mzuzu, Malawi became a single parent to her son Jeromy, at the age of 16. Abandoned by her own mother at 9 months old, she went to live with her grandparents.

The experience helped her realize she didn't want that to happen to other children, and she decided she wanted to give a mother's love to other kids who didn't have one of their own. 

After being kicked out of her home at 18, she was inspired to start the non-profits 'Empowering Young Mothers' and 'YANA' (You Are Not Alone) to help vulnerable adults and children.

She started a nursery school in her village and quickly found that some of the kids were struggling to bring food and pay the $1 fee. She decided to start fostering some of the orphaned children and before she knew it, was fostering over 30 kids, ages 6 to 17, with support from the government.

One of the practices shown in the heartwarming video is teaching some of the children to look in small mirrors and do affirmations such as:

• "I am enough. "
• "I am beautiful."
• "I am loved."
• "I am not alone."

You can watch the whole inspiring video about Tusaiwe and her kids here. You can also follow her on her Instagram page to watch her journey.

Teenage Bone Cancer Survivors Attend Prom Together

 Teenage athletes Cade Thompson and Vivian Eagle went to different schools in the same town. But they ended up starting a very special friendship when they both found out they had cancer. 

Cade was diagnosed with aggressive bone cancer in 2020 and Vivian just last year. Vivian's mom, Katrina, a teacher at his school, called Cade's mom Sharon for advice, and the friendship between the teens and their families started from there.

Cade was there for Vivian throughout the grueling treatments and isolation, encouraging her to hang in there.

"I would always tell her like, it's okay to cry." - Cade Thompson

Because Cade had gone through the experience before Vivian, he was able to really be there for her in a way no one else could.

"He was just always there when nobody else was. There was a time right after surgery I was at my lowest point, like, he knew why." - Vivian Eagle

The two, now cancer free, have different plans for their lives once they've graduated form high school, but they agree they will be friends for life. 

You can watch the whole video here.

The Little Boy Who's Morning Routine Has Gone Viral

6-year-old Ayaan Diop has a better morning routine than most adults I know! 

The little boy's mum posted a video of him quietly sitting at his tiny table, calmly drinking his tea (Honey, lemon and water), and reading a book. Of course, it went viral. 

Ayaan says that once he's at school and his day gets going, he doesn't really have time for a quiet moment, so he takes time in the morning before his little brother and sister get up. 

"I like to enjoy myself because sometimes when I wake up and I go to school, I don't have enough time so that's why my mom said if I finish my morning routine quickly, then I can do a quiet activity." - Ayaan Diop

This is the same little boy who, at 3, went viral for saying his morning affirmations on his way to school: 

"I am smart, I am blessed, I can do anything!" 

With little kids like this growing up in the world, who knows what life will look like!?

Have a great week everyone! 

Thank you to everyone for reading our Uplifting Stories! 

As always,  if you have a story to share, whether it's someone you know, or just something you saw, please message us in the comments below, or you can message us on our Instagram page to keep the positivity flowing.

Have a great week ahead - and keep looking for those bright, shining examples of goodness in the world. Take care! 

Photo by Duy Pham on Unsplash