Feel good news to think about

Don’t allow the crime news, political pandering, and misfortune that are so much a part of life weigh you down today. Stop. Take time to share and enjoy some good news. You’ll feel better for it.

Here are three good news tidbits that should lift your spirits during this season when our spirits should be high.

One story I read last week that made me say, “Way to go!,” was a about a six-year-old boy who saved his mother’s life by calling 9-1-1. He was in the car with his mom when she swerved to miss something in the road and lost control of the car. It careened off the highway and landed upside down at the bottom of an embankment. The boy was not seriously injured and was able to climb out of the car, but his mother was unconscious and trapped in the vehicle.

The boy climbed up the embankment and used a cell phone to dial 9-1-1. He was able to provide enough information that an ambulance was summoned and help arrived in time to rescue his mother.

As a sports fan, I’m well aware of the number of athletes who are anything but role models for our youth. Stories have been plentiful in recent days about brawling ballplayers, athletes charged with selling drugs, etc.

But just today I read two stories that were heart-warming instead of disgusting.

Scott Wood, a Marine, died four weeks ago from injuries suffered in combat in Iraq. He was an avid fan of the Houston Texans football team and on Sunday, his widow, Sara, and five-year-old son, Landon, were invited to attend the Texans’ home game and be part of the halftime ceremony, during which a bicycle would be presented to Landon.

What Sara and Landon didn’t know was that they would also receive a custom-built, mortgage-free home. The team worked with Operation Finally Home, an organization that builds houses for wounded and disabled veterans or their widowed families. Now, Sara and Landon will have a home of their own to move into in May. Right now, they live in a room in her parents’ house.

Perhaps the player most in the news today is Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos. People seem to love him or hate him. He is the subject of much praise and criticism for his Christianity. I admit to not being overly enamored with the kneel-down he does after a touchdown, though I find it much less bothersome than the ridiculous, child-like dances and antics many of the players do in their look-at-me celebrations.

Today, I read about something Tebow does that I suspect few people know about. I didn’t until today. Before or after each game, he visits for about half an hour a seriously ill or disabled child. Yesterday, even though his team lost, he spent time after the game with a young girl suffering from a brain disease. He talked with her, answered questions, etc., something I’m sure she and her family will always remember.

Do yourself a favor. Think about these stories. It should make your whole day better.