This year will probably be remembered as the year that changed the way we live. After the coronavirus pandemic we will hopefully learn not to take the simple things as gathering with our family for Thanksgiving and going out with friends for granted.
Sadly, many young couples who were about to get married in 2020 were left disappointed for not getting their dream wedding, but Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis’ canceled wedding ceremony brought something good for the less fortunate.
Couple cancel wedding, donate $5K deposit to the hungry. @Thresholdsctrs Emily Bugg and her husband Billy share their love with our clients. Thank you!! https://t.co/S1b8oJ8vc9
As their $5,000 deposit for the food at the reception was nonrefundable, Emily and Billy came up with an awesome idea. They used the deposit to purchase 200 Thanksgiving dinners for the clients of the nonprofit organization Thresholds which provides help for people with mental illnesses and for those who struggle with substances abuse.
Billy, who is an outreach worker at the organization told Good Morning America, “In the grand scheme of things, canceling a big wedding isn’t the worst thing that could happen. We’re happy to be married, and we’re so happy that we could help Thresholds’ clients feel the connection of a Thanksgiving meal as a result of the wedding cancellation.”
The happy couple tied the knot at the City Hall in Chicago on October 1 and said that being married is what matters most, not the lavish ceremony they once dreamed of.
Many people praised them for their kind deed because they showed that even amid the chaos the whole world is currently in, we should never forget to be humans who care for one another.
It’s been said that “love for money is root to all evil” and the sad reality is that people are often ready to cross the line solely for the purpose of becoming reach, even if that means making others miserable.
The wild animals trafficking is one of those cruel ways of making money. Recently, 79 slow lorises had been found stuffed into tiny crates. The poor animals were left with not enough food or water, starving, scared, and left fighting for their life.
Slow lorises are one of the most widely illegally traded animals. People love them for their unique looks, but very few are aware that they are on the verge of extinction.
Hopefully this story will serve as a wake-up call for the animal lovers and activists who would spread the word of the issue even further.
Source: IAR
The number of slow lorises that are poached from their natural habitat to be illegally sold is very huge. These particular animals that were reported by a neighbor who had noticed how two men were placing them into the boxes were taken from the jungle in West Java, Indonesia. The final destination was supposed to be China, where they would end up as someone’s pets.
After the authorities were informed about the case, they arrested the traffickers and quickly reached out to the officials of the West Java Regional Office of the Forestry Department (BKSDA) and International Animal Rescue (IAR).
The rescuers arrived in no time, but unfortunately, the animals were in a very horrible condition and it was way too late for some of them.
According to International Animal Rescue, during the process of transportation, which is done in overcrowded and poorly ventilated containers, 30 to 90 percent of the slow lorises die.
Source: IAR
“There were two or three in each box,” Lis Key, PR and communications manager for IAR, explained. “Being kept in there for as long as two months must have been frightful for them. For a shy, nocturnal wild animal, confinement in one of those boxes for any length of time must have been traumatizing, let alone being moved around and transported.”
After thorough examination, it was determined that almost all of the animals’ bodies were covered in bruises, wounds, and bite marks. Doctors assumed they were attacking each other in a state of panic and fear, and it is heartbreaking to hear.
Source: IAR
“Captive wild animals often develop stereotypical [abnormal] behaviors to cope with their stress,” Key said. “They are at risk of biting each other [and] carrying out repetitive movements, such as head bobbing or swaying to and fro, crying, failing to eat or drink, trying to hide in a corner of the box.”
One of the slow lorises had a BB gun pallet firmly stuck on his cute little face.
Source: IAR
“That poor animal must have been in terrible pain until he came into the care of our medical team,” Key said.
The rescuers were more than happy to be able to nurture these overly cute animals back to health, and eventually release them into the wild again. Unfortunately, many have died in the hands of the monsters who made them suffer this way.
Slow lorises are known for their potentially deadly venomous bite, so in order to make them more pet worthy before they are sent to the buyer all their teeth are extracted with a nail clipper or a wire cutter with no anesthetic.
Source: IAR
The ones that had been discovered had their teeth, and that was some good news.
You have probably come across videos online of slow lorises being tickled. This is presented as something cute and something they enjoy, but on the contrary, it is very painful for them and lifting their arms up is a defense mechanism.
What many people don’t know is that they are nocturnal animals, which means they are active during the night, so being exposed to light while being kept in brightly lit places causes pain and suffering.
“They are certainly in the best hands now, and our team will give them the best chance of recovering and returning one day to their home in the rainforest,” Key said.
The IAR staff is glad they managed to save most of the slow lorises.
Source: IAR
“It is extremely encouraging that the Majalengka Police and the Forestry Department have acted so swiftly and decisively in tackling this wildlife crime,” Key said. “And also very heartening that the local community came forward and reported the illegal activity of the two hunters. It really gives us hope to see local people and government bodies acting to protect wildlife species and punish those who exploit them.”
Take a look at the video below and remember that slow lorises should never be kept as pets.
We often tend to portray young kids as innocent, but the truth is that some of them can be mean towards their friends and classmates. Sadly, that leads to bullying, which is an issue many young people face nowadays.
Gage is a six-year-old boy who has experienced bullying by his friends because of his ears. He has been called “Elf Ears” and other names that broke his heart each time.
His parents, Kallie and Tim Berger, couldn’t stand to see their son being sad and feeling different so they made a drastic decision; to give Gage a surgery for his protruding ears.
They believed that it would help to put a stop to the bullying, although they knew children that young shouldn’t have made their son go through such an ordeal because of his looks in the first place. But as it turned out, the teasing could only be stopped if they fixed Gage’s ears. They also knew all those names his friends called him made Gage less and less self-confident with each passing day.
“He just gets really down on himself and he thinks, ‘I’m not good enough,’” Callie told CNN.
“I just don’t want to be made fun of,” Gage said.
But now, thanks to his parents and plastic surgeon Steven Mobley, Gage got his ears pinned back and is finally happy with the way he looks.
“They often get some not-so-nice names stuck to them, like ‘bat ears’ or ‘elf ears,’ and that sticks with them through middle school and high school,” doctor Mobley said.
When sweet Gage looked at himself in the mirror after the surgery, he couldn’t believe his eyes and his initial reaction was, “Oh my Gosh!” It was enough for his parents and his doctor to know that they have done just the right thing.
You can take a look at Gage’s story and his transformation in the video below. He looks awesome, although we believe he was as handsome even before the surgery.
No one can really make your day the way children can with their naive actions and kind deeds. Officer William Klees knows this all too well. His encounter with five-year-old boy named Oliver Navejar warmed the hearts of many who stumbled upon their story.
Namely, Oliver is a very friendly young man who loves spreading kindness and positive vibes wherever he goes. Just before Christmas, he and his mom Danielle went to the mall to run some errands when she needed to use the bathroom and told him to wait for her.
Source: WSAZ News Channel 3
When she got out, she noticed her son was sharing some food with officer Klees. As it turned out, while waiting for his mom, Oliver noticed the policeman having lunch all by himself so he thought he could join him. In fact, Oliver didn’t want the officer to feel lonely during the most wonderful time of the year.
Danielle wasn’t surprised by her son’s action. Oliver knows he is not supposed to talk to strangers, but he was also taught that he should trust the police officers and go to them whenever he feels he’s in trouble.
Source: Danielle Navejar/Facebook
This mother was very proud of her son. She said she always tells her son to be kind to the people he meets, and she was very glad those lessons stack with him.
The encounter between Oliver and Klees made the young boy say how he wants to be a police officer himself when he grows up. Klees was as excited for meeting someone as caring as Oliver and said how the boy made his day.
Source: WSAZ News Channel 3
Oliver on the other hand, couldn’t stop bragging that he made friends with a “real” policeman.
Everyone who has seen the photos of these two agree that it is the small things in life, like Oliver’s kind gesture of making company to someone he believed felt lonely, that matter the most.
When 26-year-old Joseph Whelan took the stage of the X Factor, no one expected so many hearts to be melted. However, no matter how great of a performance this father put in front of the cheering crowd, it was someone else who stole the show.
The reason why Joseph decided to audition in the first place was to show his little boy that if you really want something you should never quit trying, because as they say, “once you give up on your dreams, what’s really left?”
Except for being a father to the cute four-year-old boy who is his biggest support and most loyal fan, Joseph is a tool salesman who has tried his luck in music playing in various bands throughout the years.
After Joseph and his now ex-wife split, his son no longer lives with him, and that’s something this father finds heartbreaking. But no matter the circumstances, Joseph never stopped teaching his boy the true values of life. He wants to be the person the little one would always look up to, and that gives this contestant additional motivation to show his best in front of the judges.
Once you see the way Joseph looks, a handsome young man with tattoos, your first guess would be how he’s a fierce guy, but he actually experienced stage fright.
However, once he got rid of the nervousness, he took the audience by storm. Especially the ladies who cheered as loud as they could.
No one really expected for such a powerful voice to fill the air. Looking at him in disbelief, the judges knew he got that X factor in him.
But no matter how enchanted everyone was, the true fan was there in the backstage, keeping his tiny fingers crossed for daddy.
The sweet boy can’t help but move in the rhythm. He is so entertained that he forgets the cameras are on.
After Joseph’s performance came to an end, the most amazing thing happened. His son rushed to the stage and told his dad how he nailed the song and did a great job. This is way too emotional for Joseph to handle so he sheds tears of joy. And although some may say that’s not really a man’s thing to do, we believe it’s awesome when men show their emotions that way.
Many people who watched Joseph perform and got to learn his life story say how he is one hell of a father. One person even wrote: “Every girl wants to be with him. Every guy wants to look like him.”
We really hope he’ll purse a career in music and will treat us with his powerful voice in the future.
Take a look at Joseph’s memorable performance in the video below.
No matter how old one gets, we have to agree that birthdays are always a joyous occasion.
August is a Golden Retriever who turned 20 years old on April 24, 2020, and she got the title of the oldest living creature of her kind. As for the celebration for reaching this milestone, well, August, or Augie as her family loves to call her, there was a dog friendly carrot cake, lots of balloons and decorations, and the closest family members.
A huge number of animal lovers shared the joy with Augie’s family and wished this beauty a very happy birthday and many more to come. As for her, she enjoyed the attention she got and all the treats she received from her human parents and the rest of her family. Of course, things wouldn’t be complete without the cat and the doggy siblings, Sherman, Belle, and Bruce.
When August first arrived at the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern Nevada, she was already a senior of 14 years. Knowing how hard it is for elderly dogs to find a forever home, the staff didn’t think this beautiful Goldie will ever leave their place. But that’s when Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt, from Oakland, Tennessee came into August’s life and knew she belonged with them. They had experience taking care of senior dogs and just wanted to make August’s final years worth living, not expecting that she will reach 20.
Many agree that it’s their love and devotion that affected this precious dog’s long life span.
August does face some health issues, mainly due to her old age, like mobility issues and long-term kidney problems, but she’s still very vibrant and loves being out with her family and her siblings. She enjoys spending time in the yard, taking walks around the neighborhood, playing fetch and swimming.
“There are many accounts of 17 or 18-year-old goldens, and even a few stories about 19-year-old goldens, but Augie is the first golden retriever to ever reach the big two-oh,” Jake from GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue said. He also added how the Hetterscheidts have been involved with their organization for many years.
We are all looking forward to Augie’s 21st birthday next year. She truly is one very special Goldie.
This is one heck of a story that will definitely make your day. It is about the kindness offered from one struggling foster mother to another.
Lindsay is a mom of two biological children and takes care of seven other foster children whom she loves as through they are her own. This woman understands all too well how hard it is to be able to provide for so many kids, but on the other hand, fostering is something she loves because she knows that that way, she is changing the lives of those kids for the better.
Lindsay shared a story on her Facebook page about another foster mother who was shamed at Walmart. Her post has been shared over 250 thousand times and people agree that we should always step up for one another.
Source: Lindsay Rae/Facebook
“Last night I found myself sandwiched in line waiting to check out, this is not an odd occurrence. The woman in front of me had 5 children she was wrangling (which did not seem odd to me), as well as the fact that the children were a mix of Caucasian and Hispanic short people. (again hmph…didn’t notice until it was pointed out to me). Yes, I said pointed out.”
The people behind the mother who had a hard time using her food stamp card and didn’t know how to separate the items were saying things like, “How many baby daddies do you think she has?”“Just wait until she whips out the food stamps,” and “Can’t even dress those kids for weather,” because two of them were wearing jackets and boots and the three, which didn’t look like the mother, were dressed in shorts and flip-flops.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Lindsay had a hard time believing how cruel some people could be.
She then got close to the mother and offered her to help her with her transaction. The woman said, “New Foster Mom, this is my first time using one of these, they came 3 days days ago, gonna be with us for a while. They gave us food, but the kids needed clothes, but no stipend has come through yet.”
That’s when Lindsay told her how the computer separates the items itself and told her she would just need to pay the balance after she runs her card. The woman was very grateful. The encounter ended with a hug between two mothers who were in the same situation.
Source: Lindsay Rae/Facebook
After the transaction was done, the mother gave the three kids, the ones she fostered, their new coats.
We should all be like Lindsay. It’s because of people like her that this world becomes a better place.
Below is the original post. Make sure you share this mother’s story with your family and friends.
Whether they like it or not, the kids of celebrities always find themselves under the spotlight. Some love the attention they get from their famous parents’ fans, and others, like Reese Witherspoon’s daughter, Ava, tend to live a more normal life.
From the moment she appeared on the big screen, Reese Witherspoon became America’s favorite blonde. She starred in a number of movies, but it seems like the role in Legal Blonde was a breakthrough for the young actress.
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The portrayal of country music legend June Carter Cash in Walk the Line brought Reese an Oscar for best actress in a leading role.
Reese became a mother at a young age. When she and husband Ryan Phillippe got Ava, she was 23 years old. The couple met two years before they tied the knot in 1999. Four years later, they welcomed their second child, son Deacon.
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This year, Ava turned 21 and she looks exactly like her mother. In fact, many say that the two look more like sisters than a mother and daughter.
Unlike many children of actors, Ava didn’t follow into her parents’ footsteps. Instead, she wanted a career in the fashion industry. In 2018, Ava starred in the lookbook for Rodarte’s Fall collection and modeled for her mom’s lifestyle and clothing line Draper James. Reese says how her daughter knows a lot about fashion, so much that she even helped her choose the wedding dress when she married her second husband Jim Tooth in 2011.
“She’s very cutting-edge, and she knows a lot about fashion. And she has her own sense of style, which is amazing,” Reese said. “We try to kind of confer about new styles. She tells me whether or not I can wear things.”
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Despite pursuing a career as a model, Ava is a second-year student at at UC Berkeley outside San Francisco, California. She is staying in a dorm room and is driving a regular Volkswagen. People praise her for being grounded.
Reese said it wasn’t easy seeing Ava being away from home and spoke up about motherhood relating to the book Little Fires Everywhere.
“It’s so difficult to articulate what motherhood means, and there are so many passages in the novel that did,” the actress told People. “One passage was about training yourself to live on the smell of an apple alone, when what you really wanted was to devour it, to sink your teeth into it and consume it, seeds, core, and all.”
“It’s such a vivid way to describe the loss of your children as they grow up,” Reese added. “My daughter was applying for college back then, so it hit me like an arrow in the heart.”
On Ava’s 21st birthday, a few weeks ago, Reese posted touching message on Instagram.
“Wow! How is it possible that this little girl is now 21 years old? Happy Birthday to my sweet girl who has become the most incredible young woman,” Witherspoon wrote in the tear-jerking Instagram post. “Her kindness, her compassion, and her huge heart never cease to amaze me. Ava, there aren’t enough words to describe how proud I am of everything you’ve already accomplished. I cannot wait to see ALL the Good you will put into this world. I love you so much Ava.”
Ava is proud of her mom and thankful for everything she has done for her. She says Reese is an inspiration when it comes to style and guidance and is always there for her and her two brothers.
Although Ava didn’t pursue a career as an actress, she is a creative souls, a huge animal lover, and in love with fashion, so it’s obvious she will be as famous and as successful as her mom whatever she decides to do in the future.
