Being free-spirited is a trait not everyone is lucky to possess. One of those people who live that way is one mother from New Hampshire named Wendy Auger. This woman works as a bartender and loves making people happy. One thing that she possesses and which always puts a smile on everyone’s face is her vanity plate which reads “PB4WEGO.”
The owners of the vehicles with vanity plates pay extra money to have their own choice of numbers or letters, usually portraying a recognizable phrase, slogan, or abbreviation. Auger did the same. But she didn’t get this plate by chance. In fact, she had hunted it down for years and was waiting for it to finally become available. When it did, after the state expanded the number of characters allowed in its vanity license plates from six to seven, she jumped at the opportunity to buy it.
However, although she has had the funny plate for over 15 years, she is now forced to take it down because the law says so. Apparently, the state governments and their departments of motor vehicles asked from Auger to get rid of the plate because it contains the word “pee” in it, which according to them is a controversial language.
Aguer, on the other hand, says that there is no parent out there who has never told their children “pee before we go” before leaving the house and she doesn’t thing there is any controversy behind the word “pee” as that is simply a body function. What’s most, this mom believes that her right of free speech has been violated and as a result, her case might be covered under the state’s privacy laws.
Those in support of Augus say that the state motto of New Hampshire is “Live Free Or Die,” and Augus is robbed from the opportunity to follow it.
For the outcome of the story go to the video below.
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Being a member of the royalty means living a life under the spotlight. The same goes for the British Royal family, probably the most famous family in the world.
One would assume that having the Queen of England as your grandmother is all about glamour, but the truth is that having your life exposed to the world is not pleasant and Prince Harry has experienced that first hand.
He first spoke of the issues he experienced as a child in the tell-all interview he and Meghan gave Oprah Winfrey shortly after they made the decision which angered his family, to step down from their royal duties and settle in California. Neither his grandmother, nor his brother and father were happy with the revelations Harry opened about.
Among the rest, he said he felt trapped until he met his wife. “I wouldn’t have been able to because I myself was trapped, I didn’t see a way out. I was trapped, but I didn’t know I was trapped. But the moment that I met Meg, and our worlds collided in the most amazing of ways and then [I began] to see how trapped within the system, like, the rest of my family are.
“My father and my brother, they are trapped,” Harry added. “They don’t get to leave, and I have huge compassion for that.”
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Although these words enraged his family, Harry didn’t stop there. Later, during an appearance in the podcast Armchair Expert, the Duke of Sussex said: “I don’t think we should blame anyone or point the finger at anyone, but when it comes to parenting, I’ve certainly experienced pain and suffering and that’s because my parents suffered too. I’ll try to get those feelings are genetically inherited anyway, so as parents we have to do everything we can to prevent something like this from happening to our children,” he began his confession.
“They were part of the youngest, most respected and only group ever. I was on one side and the rest of the country on the other, watching you.” They sounded like the Truman Show – have you seen the movie? The show’s online host asked, to what Harry replied, “Yeah, it’s kind of a cross between the Truman Show and the zoo.”
“Somehow you got cast in a movie without even being asked if you wanted it or not,” host Dax Shepherd added.
“The biggest problem for me is that I was born there and inherited all the elements without even having a chance in the election,” Harry replied.
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He also revealed that his mother, late Princess Diana did all in her power to provide a normal childhood for him and William, which wasn’t the case with his father, Prince Charles.
Referring to his new life in the States, Harry said: “I feel different here, I can ride my bike with Archie without being followed by the media. I didn’t have this chance when I was a child. If you talk openly about your problems, I consider it an act of strength and not of weakness. If we don’t have a healthy mind we can’t take care of ourselves and others, so it’s very important to be careful about that.”
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The Prince expressed a wish to put a stop to the circle of suffering, explaining that his father “suffered” because of his upbringing by the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh and that he treated Harry the way he was treated, calling it “genetic pain,” as per the Daily Mail.
Today, Harry seems to be living his life with his wife and children to the fullest. Since stepping down from his royal duties, he only visited Britain several times, including his grandfather’s funeral, his late mom’s statue unveiling, and his grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee celebration.
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Ever since she landed the role of sexy receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati which earned her two Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations for her performance, bombshell Loni Anderson remained a sex symbol and America’s sweetheart.
Even at a young age, Loni, who was born a brunette, won many beauty contests and represented her hometown at the Miss Minnesota competition.
Many would say she was destined to be famous and her place belonged in front of the camera, and they were right.
When she was 18, she married Bruce Hasselbeck and they welcomed daughter Deidra but divorced two years later, in 1966. That same year, she had her debut in the movie Nevada Smith after which she had a hard time getting a role.
In 1975, Loni and her second husband, Ross Bickell, moved to L.A. in hopes of finding jobs as actors. She got minor roles in shows like Barnaby Jones, The Bob Newhart Show, and Three’s Company before she played the role of Marlowe that brought her fame overnight.
Loni married two more times. Her third marriage was with actor Burt Reynolds whom she met on the set of Stroker Ace. The pair was always in the spotlight and adopted son Quinton together. Their divorce came as a shock to the millions who loved them and considered them one of the most dominant couples of Hollywood.
However, it was her fourth ,and last, marriage with Bob Flick that helped Loni find the true love of her life.
“I married the man I should have married in 1963 but then I wouldn’t have had all the wonderful people in my life,” Anderson told Studio 10. “It’s so bizarre how we came together but it was destiny and we have wonderful grandchildren.” The couple lives in California.
Facebook / Do You Remember
The beauty that we all love so much turned 75 in August this year, but she still looks as gorgeous as always and is defying age.
Speaking of her incredible looks, the actress says she owes it to her healthy lifestyle. Her diet consists of mostly fruits and vegetables and she exercises regularly.
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In an interview with Closer Weekly, she said she wants to change people’s perception of how grandmothers look like, because she is one herself.
“I’m not saying traditional is boring, but I’m a grandma and the women around me are, too,” she says. “We’re different from that stereotype, so it’s time to change the face of what grandmas look like!”
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Loni’s daughter Deidra was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009 and Loni is her greatest support. She said she “felt apart” when she heard the diagnosis but remains strong and optimistic for her daughter.
The Olsen sisters, Marry-Kate and Ashley, took Hollywood by storm during the 90’s after they shared the role of cute-beyond-words Michelle Tanner on the TV sitcom Full House.
When their mom took them to the audition, the producers had already chosen a set of twins for the role that would turn iconic, but just a glance at the cute Olsens made them change their mind and hire Marry-Kate and Ashley instead.
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The girls would take turns in playing Michelle because it would have been a lot of work for a single child to be filming long hours. The show ran from 1987 until 1955, and audiences from all over the country and beyond fell for the character of Michelle so much that the girls turned acting sensation almost overnight.
Being that successful, they started their own company and became CEO’s at the age of just 6, and when they reached 10, they were on the list of youngest self-made millionaires in the history.
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Today, the famous sisters are all grown up and tend to lead a private life, away from the spotlight.
In 2012, the they won the top prize at the Council Of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Awards. Three years later, they won the Womenswear Designer of the Year for their brand The Row.
Shutterstock/Everett Collection
When it comes to their love life, Mary-Kate was married to husband Oliver Sarkozy, while Ashley never tied the knot, but she has had quite a dating history. Before getting engaged in a relationship with her boyfriend of many years, financier Richard Sachs, she dated actor Justin Bartha, former football player Matt Kaplan, actor Jared Leto, restaurateur Scott Sartiano, and former cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Sachs was 28 years her senior, but she didn’t mind the age gap. The two called their relationship quits back in 2017, the same years when Ashley fell in love again, this time with Louis Eisner. The couple has only be photographed together a handful of times, but they seem to be going strong.
So, what do we know of Full House star’s new boyfriend?
As per Interview Magazine, Eisner was born in Santa Monica in 1988. He interned at Sotheby’s and later graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Art History and was a part of the Still House Group, a collective of young artists for many years. Eisner is an artist with a respected number of paintings, one of which was purchased by Ivanka Trump back in 2013.
Apparently, the couple was first seen in public together at the Hammer Museum’s Gala in the Garden, LA in October 2017.
Four years later, the lovebirds made their first red carpet debut together at the YES 20th Anniversary Celebration, an event which supported the Young Eisner Scholar foundation, run by Louis’s father, Eric Eisner.
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for YES 20th Anniversary Gala
He has also been accepted by Ashley’s family. Back in 2019, he joined them celebrating Mary-Kate’s birthday. Then, on July 9, 2021, Eisner made a very rare move: posting a photo of Ashley on his Instagram Story.
According to the media, the couple is very much in love, despite the fact they are rarely spotted together in public.
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The new generations of children seem to be brought up quite differently than we were by our parents. I have this feeling that nowadays, kids are less and less empathetic towards others. Bullying takes place almost everywhere, especially at schools, the places where a child should feel safe and protected.
Many times, their blunt observations and vocal nature can be used to make others feel less worthy. This, of course, isn’t true for every kid out there as the child’s behavior and the way they treat others has a lot to do with the style of parenting they receive at home.
One New Jersey school bus driver, Cindy Clausen, has seen it all when it comes to the way children treat each other. So, one day, as she was on the job driving kids to school, she noticed a boy and a girl approaching a boy with special needs. This smelled trouble. Cindy was certain there would be a problem as she believed the two children would bully the other one. However, she was shocked when she realized they did something out of the norm.
Instead of making fun of the boy with disability, the children, who were a brother and sister, befriended the boy and made him feel included! They even asked him to sit with them. What’s most, they offered help and chatted about their day at school.
It was clear to Cindy that the siblings’ parents were showing them the right way to treat people!
The same happened in the days that followed, so Cindy felt the urge to praise the parenting of the siblings, Annaliese and Jorge, by writing a letter for them.
Before the letter reached the family, Cindy shared it with the Love What Matters Facebook page:
“I am compelled to write to tell you how beautiful your children are, inside and out! This can only come from the home, your patience and guidance, the examples that you set and teach.
I have a child on my bus named Jackson. Both of your children have showed him so much compassion and support. Every day your children ask if they can sit with Jackson.
Some days Jackson is a little sad getting on the bus but as soon as he sees Annaliese and Jorge he smiles. Jackson has difficulties walking and it takes a bit for him to get to his seat.
Today Annaliese looked out from around her seat and said, ‘come on Jackson, you can do it” and when we arrived at school, Jackson took it upon himself to carry out his backpack!
I know you know how wonderful your children are, but I wanted you to know that it shows!”
Needless to say, the parents were happy their children acted the right way and made the boy feel loved and accepted. Thy couldn’t be more proud!
Facebook/Love What Matters
It’s children like Annaliese and Jorge that give us hope in the future generations!
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No matter how indifferent little children might seem about the things taking place around them, the truth is that most of them are very observant, and this characteristic is what helped one young boy save his father’s life.
Mark, who has diabetes type I, is a father of three-year-old Lenny-George Jones. Having this condition isn’t easy. It requires a lot of discipline, eating healthy, and maintaining a healthy weight, among the rest. Despite everything, people suffering from this condition are at higher risk of blood clots, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.
One day, as Mark and his son were having fun together at home, Mark suddenly collapsed on the kitchen floor. Being alone in the house with his little son didn’t seem promising, but his boy knew exactly what to do as he watched his mom doing the same before.
Although he’s still very young, Lenny-George knew he needed to give his daddy something to eat in order for him to get better. The quick-thinking boy grabbed some yogurt from the fridge and put it in his dad’s mouth using a toy knife. Shortly after, Mark regained his consciousness and was able to take his medications.
The boy’s mom, Emma, shared what had happened and explained: “I’m not sure how he took [the yogurt] out of the fridge, but his tiny blue wooden chair was right next to it, so it appeared as if he’d brought it over to stand on it.
“He was able to feed Mark enough to raise his blood sugar levels and acquire his medications.”
Mark was happy things turned the way they did and said he was very proud of his son who knew exactly what to do in order to save his father’s life.
“He’s such a sweet and thoughtful little child,” Emma said.
Lenny-George deserves all the praise for his heroic act.
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The prolonged coronavirus pandemic affected many people’s lives. Business were shut down and many lost their jobs, unable to find a way to provide for their families.
Amy Winter, 26, and Joshua Thain, 27, a young couple and parents of three, with their fourth child on the way, found themselves in an unenviable situation after they were unable to pay rent for many months.
“It’s that bad we don’t go out or anything because we’re worried. I’ve asked my family if they can help, they can’t help with accommodation because they’re only living in one bed and two bedroom houses. The only person who is trying to help is my partner’s uncle but he lives down in Somerset,” Amy explained.
Amy Winter with her husband Joshua Thain and children Lexi, Skye, and Daisy-Mae Source: Huddersfield Examiner
The worried mother told The Sun that the housing association threatened to “put them on the streets.”
The Barnsley Council on the other hand said in a statement how they offered solutions but the family refused to be split up.
“I think Barnsley Council need to get off their backside and figure out what they’re going to do, instead of just telling us one thing and next thing a different thing. I ain’t separating my family up after everything that’s gone on with Josh losing his mum, I said ‘I ain’t separating my family just because you want me to.’”
The home where the family currently resides is owned by Sanctuary Housing and the name on the tenancy agreement is that of Victoria Robertshaw, Joshua’s late mother who died from Covid some months ago.
Source: Huddersfield Examiner
As reported by Yorkshire Live, a spokesperson for Sanctuary Housing said that this decision wasn’t sudden or rushed. They claim the couple should have expected something like this to happen as they were aware they didn’t pay rent for a prolonged period of time.
“On Monday, an Outright Possession Order for this property was granted by a judge at court which asks the occupants to vacate it within 7 days. The proceedings related to significant rent arrears that have built up with no rent being paid for several months. This despite our attempts to resolve the issue before going to court.”
Barnsley Councillor Jenny Platts, added more. “Our housing team are continuing to work with the couple and are offering them advice around their housing options and support to consider alternative accommodation.”
We hope this family would be able to find a way to either keep their place or find a suitable home in the near future.
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If you believe friendships like that of Bea the Giraffe and Wilma the Ostrich are cute and unusual, wait until you hear the heartwarming story of Ruuxa the cheetah and Raina the dog. Both these loving animals are inhabitants of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. What is interesting about their friendship is that they’ve known each other since the moment they were born and never left each other side during the two years of their life.
It all started when Ruuxa’s mother gave birth to a single baby. Since cheetahs usually give birth to a litter of 3 to 5 cubs, and even more, Ruuxa’s mother abandoned him believing being an only cub, he wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild.
Fortunately, the zoo staff knew exactly what to do. They introduced Ruuxa to a baby dog named Raina, and the rest is history.
San Diego Zoo
Being by each other’s side is everything these souls know, and they love it. Their days are fun and engaging, and they enjoy each other’s company so much that they don’t really opt to bond with the rest of the animals.
San Diego Zoo
Their friendship grew even stronger when the zookeepers noticed how Ruuxa’s legs weren’t forming properly. Instead of growing straight, they were growing in a bow shape.
Since that meant he wouldn’t be able to run and walk properly, they decided to fix his problem with a corrective surgery.
San Diego Zoo
During the period of recovery, Raina was extremely supportive and was there for her friend. She would keep him company and give him lots of licks, kisses, and snuggles.
The staff was impressed by how careful and loving the dog was during his friend’s tough times.
San Diego Zoo
Everyone agrees how these cute cheetah and dog are more like siblings than friends.
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You can take a look at them in the video below.
Please share to inspire others to show their appreciation for those who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
From the moment he was welcomed into the world, musician Pete Burns was given the freedom to do things his way. His mother, who was a holocaust survivor and married a British soldier, believed her son should be free spirited, and as it turned out, he accepted that with ease and lived his entire life in such manner.
“[My mother] had me when she was 51 years old, which was very unusual in 1959,” Burns said in the book Europe’s Stars of ’80s Dance Pop: 32 International Music Legends Discuss Their Careers.
“I wasn’t put in school until I was seven year old because my mother thought it was more important to let me have freedom of expression (much against my father’s will) than to know when the Battle of Hastings took place or when Henry VIII married. She was very troubled, especially when she found out her father had been [killed].”
Youtube/ Joe I. Howell
She saw his mother as his best friend. He gave him the power to dream.
Around the time Burns reached 14, he got fascinated with fashion and trends and was courageous enough to try different styles, something that is in a big way related to the person he was his entire life. He started wearing earrings and dyed his hair, something the school he attended wasn’t happy with, so he was eventually expelled.
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Burns found enjoyment in dressing as a drag, although he wasn’t comfortable with labels being put on him.
“I have never had a reason to separate gender. I’ve had two very powerful people in my life, my ex-wife Lynn, and my husband Michael, and that’s it,” he wrote in The Guardian in 2007.
“Everyone’s in drag of some sorts, I don’t give a f**k about gender and drag. I’m not trying to be a girl by putting on a dress – gender is separated by fabric. I was brought up with an incredible amount of freedom and creativity. Society has put certain constraints on things.”
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His music career started unexpectedly. He and his then girlfriend Lynn, whom he married in 1980 and was together with for more than 20 years, had a small shop near a club called Eric’s. There, they saw many musicians perform, and after a while, Burns was invited to perform himself.
“But [the club’s owner] actually set me up with a band of musicians called The Mystery Girls, and my first gig was supporting a group called Sham 69. My audience was really shocked when they first saw me. It was really throwing a cat among the pigeons.”
Burns then started performing with his band Nightmares in Wax before he founded Dead Or Alive in 1980.
His appearance had a lot to do with his success. All of a sudden, magazines were interested to learn more about him and he became a celebrity and his band released hits which rose to the Top 30 in Britain.
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As his popularity grew more and more and he became aware of the fact that he was becoming a “visual entity,” Burns turned to cosmetic surgeries. The first surgery he had undergone was to fix his broken nose, and it was more than enough for him to get addicted. Over the years, he had over 300 surgeries which eventually led him to bankruptcy.
“What I’m trying to achieve with my surgery, is my own personal satisfaction. It’s narcissism,” Burns told People. “What you see on the outside is a complete contradiction to something that’s on the inside,” he added.
The huge number of operations led to a a face and lips infection, which as a result, led to even more procedures.
“Changing my face is like buying a new sofa,” adding that there was “not a part of me, apart from the soles of my feet, which has not had work done. For me, plastic surgery is a matter of sanity, not vanity,” he said of his addiction which got out of control.
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On October 23, 2016, following a massive heart attack, Pete Burns passed away.
Months before he passed away, Burns opened up about the way his addiction with plastic surgeries affected his life and left him penniless. Speaking to BBC, the eccentric musician revealed: “As a result of all the anesthetics and antibiotics which do have side effects, I now suffer from pulmonary embolisms and blood clots in my heart, lungs, and legs.”
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Recalling a previous experience during which he almost lost his life, Burns said:
“It was a lovely feeling dying, I just remember being all wired up to tubes and wishing they removed them, it felt so nice, like a bath of velvet. everything felt so soft and floppy,” he added.
“I’m not comfortable with the idea of aging, I don’t want to look like a 65-year-old. I’m not the boy next door, I’m the boy next door but one. I hope that when I’m 80 I get to heaven and God doesn’t recognize me.”
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I can never imagine the heartbreak which comes with losing a pet.
When Dwight and Melissa, a couple from Wisconsin, noticed that their dog Payday was nowhere to be seen, they were left heartbroken. It wasn’t in the dog’s nature to wander off, so they were really scared for him as they feared that someone could have stolen Payday from them.
Their 12-year-old daughter was crushed. The family searched everywhere, but to no avail.
Source: Facebook/ Wisconsin Humane Society
Then, some 2 years later, something extraordinary happened. Dwight was watching TV and forgot to turn it off when he went to sleep one night. In the morning, when he woke up, the first thing he saw on TV was Payday. At that moment, FOX6 News Milwaukee were introducing a “little brown dog with the most adorable underbite” during their “Adopt-A-Pet” segment. There was no doubt the sweet dog was the one this family was praying to be found safe and sound.
Dwight rushed to call the Wisconsin Humane Society and told them that the dog they featured on the program belonged to him. He explained that Payday went missing and that they were looking for him everywhere.
The rescuers couldn’t wait to arrange a reunion and made sure they caught the emotional moment on camera for everyone to see.
Payday was overly excited to see him humans again, and they were happy he could get home after so much time.
“We are beyond ecstatic for this amazing family to finally be whole again,” the shelter wrote.
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According to the most recent federal data, the number of children who are part of America’s foster care system is over 400,000. That number is devastating to say the least. It means that that many children struggle to find a permanent place to call home and to be accepted by the families they are placed at.
Some adapt easily. Others, however, have a hard time getting used to that kind of life and are left emotionally damaged long after they come of age and become adults.
Jessica Benzakein is a single mother of two. Today, she’s at a good place because she is independent and has her children by her side, but she had a pretty rough childhood. When she was only 12, Jessica’s mom lost custody of her and she spent the next couple of years going from home to home.
Unfortunately, she never settled and felt lonely most of her life.
HAPPENING NOW: Today marks a big day for Jessica Benzakein. She’s been a foster parent for years, opening her heart and home to foster kids in need.
Today, she finally gets to adopt these SIX kids she’s had for years.
Today, however, Jessica is doing fine and she wants to make a change. And that change starts with her adopting six siblings she fostered.
Namely, when she learned of Will, 17, Carter, 14, Sidney, 13, and Buddy, 8, as well as Kendrich, 6, and T.J., 4, she knew she couldn’t let them be placed in different homes. She really wanted to see them grow together, and the only way for that to happen was for her to welcome all of them in. The siblings loved their new place and were well accepted by Jessica’s biological children, Eli, 14, and Brenna, 9.
Being a single mom of two wasn’t easy, and being a single mom of 8 would be even more difficult and demanding, but Jessica was willing to take the risk.
Source: YouTube/ WISN 12 News
Sharing her incredible life journey with Today, this brave woman said, “Everybody tells me how lucky these kids are and what a good thing I did. But … I’m going to cry … they grounded me. I went through my 20s thinking I didn’t really need a family. But I did. They give me purpose.”
Finally, last year, a Milwaukee judge ruled that she could officially adopt her foster children.
“Do you think it’s in their best interest that you be their mom?” the judge asked her.
“I think we are pretty good together,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m the best mom, but I’m their best mom. I love ’em.”
Speaking to WISN, one of the kids, Sidney, said, “I feel like this is the best choice that I could have.”
Carter added: “The whole adoption thing doesn’t really matter, because we consider each other as a family no matter what.”
Jessica is a woman with a heart of gold. We wish her and her family a beautiful life.
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Best known for the role of Jimmy Palmer on the smash hit series NCIS, actor Brian Dietzen has had quite a lucky start in the business.
We are all perfectly aware that making a name for oneself in Hollywood is harder than one can imagine, but for Dietzen, it didn’t take long before he became a celebrity in his own right.
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Even as a young kid, Dietzen was interested in acting and writing. The now 44-year-old actor once recalled in an interview with The TV MegaSite:
“[Writing] is kind of an extension of acting. It’s creating a script, it’s moving forward and expressing some sort of artistic vision. I went to school at CU in Boulder, and even there, I loved reading scripts.
“I loved studying the classics, studying the masters, and that sort of stuff. And moving out here when I started writing with my friend Abby Miller, we wrote a musical together, a feature musical.”
He further added: “We realized, shortly thereafter, that it would cost millions of dollars to make that feature, so we decided to try our hand at writing something on a much smaller subject, and we came up with Congratulations.”
The film Congratulations was released in 2012, and was selected by over a dozen film festivals. It also won Best Feature awards from United Film Festival and New Filmmakers.
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At that point, Dietzen has already had a career in film and starred in the 2003 film From Justin to Kelly, among the rest. A year later, in 2004, he was offered a guest role in NCIS which eventually turned into something huge. He became a regular at the start of the 10th season and all of a sudden, everyone knew his name.
“One of the big, memorable days is my first scene here. And I was hired to do one scene with David McCallum, one day,” he told CBS.
“And I went in there, we had a nice juicy scene with David, where I was nervous, and I was working on a tape recorder. He and I played really, really well together.”
Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins
As he gained more and more popularity with each passing episode , Dietzen also experienced some health issues. Mare months before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the actor had a stoke.
“I’m going to say something that’s going to sound like an advertisement, and it’s not, but the Apple Watch saved my life. I was on the floor of my bathroom, throwing up, and I pulled out my phone, and I was like, ‘Oh shit, I can’t use my fingers,’” Dietzen recalled in an interview with Variety.
“And so I said, ‘Hey, Siri, call Kelly,’ and called my wife. I said, ‘I need help.’ She said, ‘You sound like you have marbles in your mouth.’”
Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins
Luckily, he managed to call 911 through a voice command and was rushed to the hospital where he was provided with medical assistance.
“‘I don’t think there’s much that I’ve left undone because everyone that I love knows that I love them’ — that sort of thing. But then I was like, ‘Whoa, no, I can’t start thinking that way,’ and then I started trying to get my mind in the right place,” Dietzen said.
“And I could feel something happen in my brain, but all of a sudden, I could move my hands and start moving my tongue. I started doing tongue twisters. They’re like, ‘Please stay still.’ But the clot in my brain cleared. And I was really blessed that I’d stayed really healthy and had a really healthy cardiovascular system.”
Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins
After doctors ran tests, they found a hole between Dietzen’s atrial chambers and he was forced to undergo an urgent surgery. The procedures was successful and Dietzen recovered completely. This experience, however, and the time he took off to help his body and soul heal gave him the opportunity to look back at his life and everything he has achieved. He realized that it was his family and his career that made him happy. “And I realized there’s no reason why I can’t tell really great stories and branch out and still do what I love on this thing, and be surrounded by these people that have supported me and that I support and love,” he told Variety.
We are very glad Brian Dietzen was able to get back on his feet. We only wish him the best in the years to come.
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Learning that a family member has cancer or another vicious disease affects everyone around and it changes the life of the entire family. However, things are even harder when the person diagnosed is a child. In such cases, all the attention is focused on their healing and the other children are somehow put aside.
The parents are doing their best for the other children not to feel neglected, but that can be really hard.
The family of a named Beckett Burge, from Texas, were left heartbroken when they learned the sweet boy had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. But they were ready to fight his battle with him. His sister Aubrey, although only 15 months older than him, was aware of what her brother and her parents were going through and she was there, supporting them all the step of the way.
The little girl with huge personality didn’t mind sacrificing some of the things she loved, such as her gymnastics classes, in order to be by her brother’s side. Her life turned around as now it was all about the hospital visits, but she didn’t care about herself at all. All she ever wanted was for her sweet sibling to get healthy again.
Speaking to TODAY Parents, the children’s mom Kaitlin Burge said:
“One thing they don’t tell you about childhood cancer is that it affects the entire family. You always hear about the financial and medical struggles, but how often do you hear about the struggles families with other children face?”
Aubrey never got mad at anyone around for not paying as much attention to her as they used to. She showed compassion and empathy and acted way older than her age.
“We had to put a lot of things on hold because we didn’t know what life was going to look like. Aubrey never once complained,” said her mom.
The parents expected from Aubrey to get moody and even jealous, because they didn’t really know whether she was completely aware of what was going on, but despite her age, she knew they all had to be around Beckett.
Aubrey would spend her days around Beckett making sure he was not bored or alone. She replaced the jumping and the running with games that Beckett could be involved in and she even pretended to give him homework on the days he missed preschool.
Kaitlin was aware they were not the only parents going through such ordeal, so she decided to share her story on Facebook.
“My two kids, 15 months apart, went from playing in school and at home together to sitting in a cold hospital room together. My then 4-year-old watched her brother go from an ambulance to the ICU. She watched a dozen doctors throw a mask over his face, poke and prod him with needles, pump a dozen medications through his body, all while he laid there helplessly. She wasn’t sure what was happening. All she knew was that something was wrong with her brother, her best friend.”
Often times, Aubrey would beg her mom to take her with her at the hospital to see how her little brother was doing.
“Children need support and togetherness, and should not be kept at a distance from the person who is ill. Vomiting between play sessions. Waking up to throw up. Standing by her brother’s side and rubbing his back while he gets sick. Going from 30 lbs to 20 lbs. This is childhood cancer. Take it or leave it.”
Aubrey became Beckett’s greatest support and his most loving caretaker.
“If Aubrey wakes up and Beckett isn’t there, she starts crying. She needs to know where he is at all times. He prefers her to us when he throws up. Aubrey has always been mature and nurturing. When Beckett throws up, she’s right there with him or running to get him water. Last night, she asked if she could help me sort his medication.”
Along with the message, Kaitlin posted a touching and heartwarming photo.
After years of treatments, brave Beckett started doing better and better and he eventually won the battle with cancer. With his loving parents and sister by his side, he managed to overcome every obstacle that came along his way.
“He is feeling great, he is done with treatment, and is back to school, currently in the first grade,” the happy mom shared.
We are very happy this brave boy was able to come through his battle with cancer and emerge healthy on the other side.
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A couple from North Carolina who became parents later in life are a proof that God works in mysterious ways.
Susie and Tony Troxler, who are now 50 and 61 respectively, got married back in 2008 and believed they would become parents shortly after that because that was what they both wanted so very much. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out as expected and they had trouble conceiving.
“One year turned into two, then three, but when it got to be nine, 10, 11 years, we were like, something is up, and I’m not sure what it is.”
They both experienced some minor health issues, and age seemed to played a big part in their inability to get pregnant.
“I had a boatload of uterine fibroids. I was too old, and Tony had some medical issues, so, between the two of us, there was not going to be a baby,” Susie told 13 News Now. She was also aware that getting pregnant in her 50s would come with certain risks, such as gestational diabetes, ectopic pregnancy, or even a miscarriage, but she was willing to accept all that if that meant she could become a mother.
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After years of unsuccessful tries, the couple went to a fertility clinic. “None of that worked, and we were down to our last embryo,” Susie said. “They bring me into the ultrasound, and the first thing they said was, ‘Oh, she’s moving!’ I was like, ‘Yes!’”
They finally heard the news they were waiting for so long and were over the moon.
Their beautiful daughter Lily was born in September, 2021.
“I love her so much. Every time I look at her, I feel myself just staring at her. It’s amazing!” proud daddy Tony said.
“We are thrilled. Sleep-deprived, but totally beyond worth it. She is a miracle baby,” mom Susie added.
We are so happy for this beautiful family. We wish every couple who struggles with infertility to receive this miracle from God.
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Young or old, everybody craves for a Big Mac every now and then. Just imagine the joy of treating yourself with one of these delicious burgers after a night out.
However, as much as we enjoy the luxury of pulling up to the restaurant’s drive-thru, we may question whether we would do that again after a McDonald’s employee revealed some secrets which gave many the creeps.
Taking to TikTok, where she shares some tricks of the trade, user @secretfitzz revealed that the restaurant takes secret screenshots, and people are totally unaware of it. What’s most, the user added that the employees listen to customers’ conversations.
Source: TikTok
“The fact people don’t know we can hear your convos even when we aren’t speaking to you taking your order,” the TikTok video reveals.
“And we have a camera at the speaker that takes a picture of you so we know whose order is whose.”
The user added that the highlight of her day at work is “seeing the mugshots of random people.”
Needless to say, this revelation left many angry and fuming.
Source: TikTok
Of course, we cannot be sure whether this is true or not, but just the thought of it makes us feel uncomfortable.
Some users couldn’t help but comment on the video, with one person writing, “If this is true, I’m never going again,” while another joked: “How can you hear my convo when you can’t hear me screaming into the mic from 5cm away?”
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This story comes from Reddit and was shared by a user who goes by the name u/Johnny_Provolone. It is about a sweet revenge this person plotted against a teacher who wouldn’t stop bullying him.
We are not sure if what this user shared is a true story or not but it is definitely a situation we can all find ourselves in. How he handled the way he was treated by his algebra teacher is definitely worth a read.
“I was a senior in high school at the time and I had never been the brightest student. I was a solid C student and i had never received a detention or had any kind of bad student record. This is important because to this day, i still have no idea why the teacher treated me this way. The teacher, who we will name Mrs. Frank, had been a teacher there for more then a decade. She was widely known for being a petty heartless bitch who the administrators saw as the golden child,“ this user started his story.
“Mrs. Frank taught algebra, which is my worst subject. So naturally I had issues understanding the lessons and would ask questions frequently. To some these questions are easily answered but to me it was rocket science.”
Source: pexels
However, instead of providing help, the teacher would use every chance to bully Provolone calling him slow and refusing to answer any of his questions. She simply didn’t see him fit for her class and never even tried to teach him the things he couldn’t understand. The thing is that no one ever believed him when he told them he was treated badly.
Once, he went to the school’s administration and told them about the issue. They sent someone to observe the class, but the teacher acted on her best behavior when she knew someone was watching her. When she was left alone with her students, it was a different story. Her bullying continued and that made Provolone take matters into his own hands.
So, one day, he went to a local store and purchased a recorder. Having in mind this happened some 15 years ago, it was the best piece of equipment that could come in handy for Provolone’s plan. He decided to record every insult.
At the end of the year, Provolone asked his teacher a question. Her reply was just another proof that she wasn’t fond of him as her reply was: “I’v been teaching here for over 10 years and that was the single dumbest question i’v ever heard come from anyone’s mouth.”
The day was over and Provolone went home and “compiled all of the brutal tapes into one glorious masterpiece.” Once he did that, he went straight to the principal’s office and pressed play. They asked for more evidence and told Provolone to bring the full tape the following day.
According to him, the following morning was one of the best in his life.
“I watched as the administrators went from fed up with being in another useless meeting, to furious and speechless with some of them keeping their mouths open for the duration of the tape. I also watched Mrs. Frank go from confident and stuck up, to her realizing that she had fuc**d up beyond repair.
“She was publicly roasting herself in front of the most important people from the district.
“The tape ended and without hesitation, the administrators looked around in astonishment and the principal turns to me and says ‘I think we have heard everything we need to, thank you.’ And i was quietly dismissed from the room.
“The final time I saw Mrs. Frank was leaving the room. I looked back and we made eye contact through her tear filled eyes as I gave the biggest most evil smile.”
What do you think of this? Do you like the way this person handled his bully teacher? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below and don’t forget to SHARE this story with your family and friends on Facebook!
Recently, the entire country, and even the world, was caught into a Deep-Heard frenzy as the two actors and former spouses went through an extensive and intense court trial. Johnny Deep sued Heard on the grounds that she defamed him in an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post. The trial was broadcast on Court TV and according to Vanity Fair, the channel’s ratings had doubled as a huge number of people closely followed the accusations the exes threw at each other.
Not only ordinary people, but fellow actors and people close to both Depp and Heard were eager to learn the outcome. On June 1, the verdict was finally reached.
Johnny Depp won on all three counts of defamation. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor received $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. However, Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages to meet the state’s limit of $350,000.
Amber Heard on the other hand won on one count and will receive $2 million in compensatory damages.
As expected, both of them released statements following the verdict.
Heard wrote that she was disappointed and heartbroken, claiming that her ex’s power, influence, and sway was to blame for her loss.
“I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke up could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women should be taken seriously,” she added.
“I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the U.K.
“I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly.”
In his statement, Depp thanked the juries for giving him his life back.
Both statements were read and commented on by a huge number of people, including other celebs.
However, what attracted the attention of many was the Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa’s reaction. He pressed “Likes” on both statements and it raised eyebrows. Many believe that this means he wants to keep his neutral position or he’s simply glad the trial is over. Momoa has not publicly taken side in the trial that pitted the two actors against each other, unlike other celebs such as Amy Schumer who supported Heard, or model Naomi Campbell who responded to Depp’s statement with a heart emojy.
What are your thoughts on the Depp-Heard trial verdict?
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Little children have the purest of hearts. They are fun to be around because they always speak their mind and are honest to the core, so if they say they love you they truly mean it.
One police officer who was on the job is sharing a heartwarming encounter with a young boy who was waiting for the school bus at a bus stop. As officer Jan Dykes, with the Louisville Metro Police Department, approached the students, the boy got closer and asked her to pray with him. Dykes was stunned by this unusual request and decided to join the little guy in his prayer. The words he uttered warmed her heart.
“He said, ‘I want to pray for this officer’s safety. I made a new friend. I really hope her day goes great, and hopefully she makes a lot of lives better and going to school and meeting new people.’ It was really great to think this kid had this much excitement,” Dykes told ABC local news station WTVM.
This encounter made an impression so great at this officer that she tried finding the boy after the school was over, but she didn’t see him at the buss stop.
She still doesn’t know who that boy was, but she really wants to track him down and thank him for the prayer once again.
“It brought a lot of joy to me for him to want to do that for me,” Dykes said. “Often times people are thinking, ‘How can you go and help them?’ and it’s just nice to see he wanted to do that for me. It made me happy to see someone so young and moldable being so positive and wanting to be that light.”
The name of Elon Musk is related to power and money. He’s currently the richest person in the world, with an approximate net worth of $267 billion. What’s most, he’s one of the few people, if not the only one, who has immense influence on how the cryptocurrency market behaves. It only takes a single tweet by him for the value of cryptocurrencies to soar. Such was the case with his tweet about Bitcoin.
One person who has a warning about Musk and crypto is the Microsoft founder, Bill Gates.
He spoke openly about the risks of investment saying that the cryptocurrency market is precarious for anyone who doesn’t have as much money as Musk has. As we are all aware that no other person has Tesla’s owner’s wealth, the message Gates tries to spread is clear. Further, Gates warns that people might end up with nothing in case the crypto bubble bursts. Those loses won’t affect Musk a great deal, having in mind his enormous wealth, but the ordinary people won’t be able to absorb those loses.
This wasn’t the first time for Gates to speak about Musk. Back in February 2021, he told Bloomberg: “Elon has tons of money, and he’s very sophisticated, so I don’t worry that his Bitcoin will randomly go up or down. I do think people get brought into these manias who may not have as much money to spare so I’m not bullish on Bitcoin. My thought would be if you have less money than Elon, watch out.”
In January 2021, Musk changed his Twitter bio to #bitcoin and he changed the direction of the cryptocurrency. Needless to say, it skyrocketed. In case he decides to slam Bitcoin, the stock is likely to fall very fast since cryptocurrencies don’t have a fixed exchange rate.
Shutterstock
Another person who shares Gates’ thoughts, William Quigley, the MD of Magnetic, recently informed CNN: “Please don’t pay attention to what Elon Musk says about crypto because he is simply not an expert. I think for him it was more of a joke, but a lot of people, unfortunately, follow what he says. Maybe when it comes to energy-efficient cars look at what he does, but ignore anything he says about bitcoin and crypto in general.”
This came as an answer to Musk’s tweets about DOGE coin, Bitcoin, and SHIB.
According to a report by The Guardian, the value of Dogecoin went up by 5,859 percent, and at least part of that is a result of the cryptocurrency being mentioned by Musk on social media.
The Tesla and SpaceX titan’s power is so huge that it only takes a single tweet for him to demonstrate it.
As for Gates, he and Musk have demonstrated different opinions about same issues in the past, including the coronavirus pandemic. For example, in a podcast interview with The New York Times in September 2020, Musk defended his role in coronavirus relief efforts. “Gates said something about me not knowing what I was doing,” Musk said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, knucklehead, we actually make the vaccine machines for CureVac, that company you’re invested in.'”
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Traveling by plane can be exhausting. Starting from the crowd at the airport, the long queues at the security checkup, and all those people rushing and running around. So, once we are on the plane we hope we get some time to rest. But that’s not always possible, especially when there are young children and babies on the flight who wouldn’t stop screaming, running, and yelling.
A video of such a case had been recorded by a passenger named Shane Townley. The video has been viewed more than eight million times and has sparked debate over whether Townley had the right to call the uncontrollable kid who was screaming during the flight a demon.
Source: YouTube Screenshot
The flight from Germany to the United States took eight hours and the passengers were forced to hear hysterical screaming during the whole time. It started even before the plane took off, but apparently the mother convinced the flight attendants that it will stop once the plane takes off. The boy could be seen out of his seat, sitting on someone’s shoulders. As the mother couldn’t make him behave she was asking the staff if the WiFi could be turned on quickly so that she could play him a movie or some songs that would hopefully catch his attention.
Source: YouTube Screenshot
However, it turned out the iPad could only keep him interested for a very short time after which he continued misbehaving, running up and down the aisles, and screaming all along. According to Townley, the mother was completely incapable of controlling her three-year-old son. He blamed her great deal of not trying harder to make him stand still.
Source: flickr.com/Ken Lund
Townley further explained what was going on saying:
“My wife and I were passengers on this 8 hour flight. It was torture. I have the right to film my discomfort. The airlines asked the mother to leave the flight with the child before the flight took off. The mother lied and pleaded and convinced the flight attendant that the kid would be fine once the plane took off and he could use his iPad (internet). If the mother knew he had a problem or a type of autism, why wouldn’t she have a pre downloaded video or content? Anyways the flight took off and the kid never stopped for 8 hours… thats an 8 hour tantrum folks. Why did she have to wait for the internet or Wifi? Is the kid addicted to the internet? Doesn’t she see what she’s doing to her kids? Also the airline should have been more responsible in this situation as a plane full of 200 souls was affected for 8 hours of screaming and nothing was rectified yet as of now. Updates to come, keep checking back and subscribe to my channel for more.”
Many agree with Townley’s opinions, and a great number of people who have seen the video say how they would have slapped the kid if he was theirs. They judge the mother’s incapability to teach her son a lesson. They say how she said her child had behavioral problems, but still, she didn’t take action and let the boy torment around 200 people for eight hours.
On the other hand, there are those who believe Townley didn’t have the right to call a child a demon. One of the comments says: “Why is everyone talking about shutting him up, beating him, bad parenting? I hardly heard the kid say a word which suggests to me he is non verbal and low functioning on the autism spectrum. Stop being so melodramatic and actually show some empathy for the parents.”
Do you think Townley is right, or he should’ve been more considerate? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Bullying has long been present at schools, the places where a child should feel safe and protected. Many times, these institutions simply ignore the problem and assure parents that something like that never happens, which of course isn’t true. Other times, they do take action against bullying, but that doesn’t help put a stop to the problem.
The truth is that bullying can have long-lasting effects on the victim, such as crashed self-esteem and inability to socialize later in life after falling a victim to this cruel treatment.
One father, whose son has been diagnosed with Treacher Collins syndrome, decided to step up for his boy who was branded “ugly” and “monster” by the rest of the students.
Source: Facebook
The condition affected Jackson Bezzant’s hearing, so he’s nearly deaf. The syndrome also leads to distinctive abnormalities of the head and face where cheekbones, jaws, palate and mouth are underdeveloped.
Jackson was forced to undergo a surgery to rebuild his eye socket and is expected to have more surgeries in the years to come.
Although he’s a loving and happy kid, he’s been severely bullied at school. It also happens very often for random people to comment on the boy’s face while he’s out with his father Dan, but Dan tends to keep a cool head in such situations. What he couldn’t put up with, however, was the bulling at school.
Source: Facebook
One day, he learned that while his son was having lunch at the school cafeteria, some boys approached him and started calling him names. This torment lasted for some time until a teacher noticed what was going on and intervened.
Dan’s heart was shattered. He knew he needed to take action so he decided to pour his heart out through a post he shared on social media hoping that his words would touch the parents of Jackson’s bullies.
Source: Facebook
“My heart is in pieces right now and my soul feels like its ripping from my chest,” Dan began his post, according to People Magazine.
“This beautiful young man, my son Jackson, has to endure a constant barrage of derogatory comments and ignorance like I’ve never witnessed. He is called ugly and freak and monster on a daily basis by his peers at school. He talks about suicide and he’s not quite 8!
Dan further wrote: “He says he has no friends and everyone hates him. Kids throw rocks at him and push him shouting these horrific words. Please please take a minute and imagine if this were your child. Take a minute to educate your children about special needs. Talk to them about compassion and love for our fellow man.
“His condition is called Treacher Collins. Maybe even look it up. He’s endured horrific surgery and has several more in the coming years”, Dan wrote.
Source: Facebook
He then added that he doesn’t blame the school or the teachers because they do their best to prevent bullying from taking place. But he wants parents to read his message and learn something from it.
“I want parents to see my post and feel my heart break. Please educate your children and let them know that bullying is not OK. Please share this. This shouldn’t be happening to anyone”, Dan said.
The post quickly went viral and in no time, to Dan’s surprise, some kids reached to him and told him how they wanted to be Jackson’s friends. Parents of two other children with the same condition as Jackson living in the area also got in touch with Dan and the families are now organizing a playdate.
Source: Facebook
We are so happy the community didn’t stay deaf to this father’s plea. We truly hope that more parents would take their time to educate their children that everyone should be treated with respect, despite their condition.
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Somehow, the stereotype about teenagers being careless and irresponsible has always been around. Luckily, many teens who do good deeds and kindness help break the negative opinions about these young people. The employees at a coffee shop in Vancouver are just one of them.
What they did for a regular customer in distress vent viral and they got the praise they deserve without even wanting that.
The line at the drive-thru was pretty long and Evan Freeman and his co-workers were doing all in their power to serve everyone just in time, as they always do. But then, a car approached and they noticed one of their regular customers driving it. The woman was obviously not feeling like herself, so Even couldn’t let her go without asking what was wrong.
“And she was like no, she’s just having a really bad day. Her husband passed, and as soon as she said that, I was like there’s nothing more you need to say. We got this. We’re gonna do what we do every time we get someone who’s in pain or hurt. We’re gonna give them our love,” Evan said.
He treated her coffee but he was aware she needed more than that.
In the next moment, he and two of his fellow colleagues leaned out of the coffee shop and reached for the woman’s hands. They all prayed for her and her now late husband.
Evan’s co-worker, Pierce Dunn told the woman how he wished she finds her inner piece.
The sight of the boys offering comfort to the woman grabbed the attention of the person waiting in the car behind so she snapped a photo and shared it online. In just a short amount of time, the touching photo vent viral.
One of the people who stumbled upon it was the coffee shop manager, Jessica Chudek. When she recognized her employees she felt proud.
“I started studying a little more, and I said, ‘Wait, that’s Evan and Pierce. It’s my stand. Those are my kids.’ So I was just brought to tears right then,” Jessica said.
The teens soon learned their kind gesture was seen by many, and although they loved the attention they received, they said how they hoped it will inspire others to be kind to everyone that comes on their way.
What’s most, they added how they will always be there for the woman, as she obviously need company in those hard times for her, and they were more than happy to offer that to her.
News outlets loved the story behind the photo, so they picked it up and made videos. One of them has been seen by almost 200,000 people.
Take a look at the whole story in the video below. We are so glad there are so many teens out there who are ready to offer comfort and help to those in need of some.
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Reader Mark B. emailed this story this morning, on Veteran’s Day. It’s worth taking a minute of your day and reading.
I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey’s for a few cold ones. Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 1655. Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever — the heat and humidity at the same level — both too high.
I saw the car pull into the drive, ’69 or ’70 model Cadillac Deville, looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail’s pace.
An old woman got out so slow I thought she was paralyzed. She had a cane and a sheaf of flowers, about four or five bunches as best I could tell.
I couldn’t help myself. The thought came unwanted, and left a slightly bitter taste: “She’s going to spend an hour, and for this old soldier my hip hurts like hell and I’m ready to get out of here right now!”
But for this day my duty was to assist anyone coming in. Kevin would lock the “In” gate and if I could hurry the old biddy along , we might make the last half of happy hour at Smokey’s.
I broke Post Attention. My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step and the pain went up a notch. I must have made a real military sight; middle-aged man with a small pot-gut and half a limp, in Marine Full Dress Uniform, which had lost its razor crease about 30 minutes after I began the watch at the cemetery.
I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me with an old woman’s squint. “Ma’am , may I assist you in any way?”
She took long enough to answer. “Yes, son. Can you carry these flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days.”
“My pleasure Ma’am.” Well, it wasn’t too much of a lie.
She looked again. “Marine, where were you stationed?”
” Vietnam , Ma’am. Ground-pounder. ’69 to ’71.”
She looked at me closer. “Wounded in action, I see. Well done, Marine. I’ll be as quick as I can.”
I lied a little bigger “No hurry, Ma’am.”
She smiled, and winked at me. “Son, I’m 85-years old and I can tell a lie from a long way off. Let’s get this done. Might be the last time I can do this. My name’s Joanne Wieserman, and I’ve a few Marines I’d like to see one more time.”
“Yes, Ma’am. At your service.”
She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one of the bunches out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone. She murmured something I couldn’t quite make out. The name on the marble was Donald S. Davidson, USMC, France 1918.
She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek.
She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X. Davidson, USMC, 1943.
She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley J. Wieserman USMC , 1944. She paused for a second, “Two more, son, and we’ll be done.”
I almost didn’t say anything , but, “Yes, Ma’am. Take your time.”
She looked confused. “Where’s the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way.”
I pointed with my chin. “That way, Ma’am.”
“Oh!” she chuckled quietly. “Son, me and old age ain’t too friendly.”
She headed down the walk I’d pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch on Larry Wieserman USMC, 1968, and the last on Darrel Wieserman USMC, 1970.
She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn’t make out.
“OK, son , I’m finished. Get me back to my car and you can go home.”
“Yes, Ma’am. If I may ask, were those your kinfolk ?”
She paused. “Yes, Donald Davidson was my father; Stephen was my uncle; Stanley was my husband; Larry and Darrel were our sons. All killed in action, all Marines.” She stopped, whether she had finished, or couldn’t finish, I don’t know. She made her way to her car, slowly, and painfully.
I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed it over to Kevin waiting by the car. “Get to the “Out”-gate quick. I have something I’ve got to do.”
Kevin started to say something but saw the look I gave him. He broke the rules to get us there down the service road. We beat her. She hadn’ t made it around the rotunda yet.
“Kevin, stand to attention next to the gate post. Follow my lead.” I humped it across the drive to the other post.
When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny’s voice: “TehenHut! Present Haaaarms!”
I have to hand it to Kevin, he never blinked an eye; full dress attention and a salute that would make his DI proud.
She drove through that gate with two old worn-out soldiers giving her a send off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing Duty, Honor and Sacrifice .
I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.
Instead of “The End”….just think of “Taps”.
As a final thought on my part, let me share a favorite prayer:
“Lord, keep our servicemen and women safe, whether they serve at home or overseas. Hold them in Your loving hands and protect them as they protect us.”
Let’s all keep those currently serving and those who have gone before, in our thoughts. They are the reason for the many freedoms we enjoy.
The elderly are one of the most fragile categories of people and that is the reason why they are considered an easy target by muggers and criminals.
Peter Hoban, a 72-year-old Vietnam veteran, was on his way to the Cleveland VA medical center when he spotted a group of teenagers looking at him. He smelled trouble but decided to continue walking.
“I made a mental note to myself when I get down there, I’ll tell them (center staff) they have people hanging out in the garage that are probably up to no good,” Hoban told News5 Cleveland.
However, as he headed towards the medical center, one of the teens approached him and asked him for some money. When Hoban answered that he didn’t have any, the boy started acting violently. Hoban then pushed him and tried to move, but another boy approached and hit him in the eye.
Source: Facebook
“They were both together so I charged them, tackled them down and started yelling for police and help,” Hoban explained after the incident.
Some people, who happened to be veterans themselves, heard his cries for help and rushed to his rescue. They managed to hold one of the boys until police arrived, while the other one grabbed Hoban’s car keys and fled the scene with the veteran’s vehicle.
“He was twisting his arm, I was holding his legs, a third gentleman came up and about that time I saw my car drive by down the ramp,” Hoban said and added that one of the people who helped him told him, “You mess with a veteran, we stick together,” as reported by News5 Cleveland.
Source: Facebook
Hoban’s daughter was the first one to share her father’s ordeal on Facebook. “A Cobra Pilot Vietnam veteran is someone you do NOT MESS WITH. Dad is ok. They checked him out and did scans at the VA. He is fine on the inside. Just bumps, bruises and scrapes on the outside,” she wrote, alongside pictures of her injured father. “This gets me soooo MAD and breaks my heart at the same time. Why…why pick on somebody that could be your Grandpa?! Why?! I am grateful my Daddy is safe and ok over all.”
Hoban is now recovering and is pleading the community to help him find the veterans who helped him. “I want to buy them a drink, coffee, dinner or whatever,” he said.
Authorities reported that Hoban’s car was found some two blocks away from the scene and that one of the suspects had been arrested.
“Our VA Police conduct regular patrols throughout our property, but there is still an element of risk even in the safest of areas. This was an isolated incident, and our risk assessment does not call for additional security at this time,” they said.
“We continue to encourage Veterans, employees and visitors to report suspicious activity immediately. If faced with a similar situation, experts recommend maintaining your calm, giving the offenders the property, and immediately notifying authorities. We are thankful there were no serious injuries in this instance and that the Veteran’s car will be returned to him.”
We are so very sorry this Vietnam veteran was forced to endure such an unpleasant ordeal, and we honestly hope the teens would get the punishment they deserve for hitting an elderly man who once served our country.
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