For April’s A-Z Challenge I posted about serial killers. After a month of rather grim reading I thought I should post on something a little more uplifting…
A number of years ago I stumbled across a website “Sunny Skyz“. Sunny Skyz was created as a place for positive, upbeat good news stories from around the world. Over time it has expanded to promote love, laughter and kindness . With all the negativity you find in the news and on social media, this site is a refreshingly bright corner of the web.
Examples of content :
- a story about a commuter on NYC subway who witnessed an older gentleman approach another man and sat next to him. The kind gentleman said he had noticed the other
man looking confused and asked if could he help. The second man said his son had failed a maths test and he was trying to relearn fractions so he could help his son. The first man said he was a retired maths teacher and to ask him anything. He then spent the train trip helping the father with fractions. - two neighbours agreed to put a pet door in their fence so their dogs can play together more often
- the 11-year old girl who’s bus driver braids her hair every morning after her mother passed away
- the weather in Bulgaria has been so cold that storks, which migrate in winter, have been freezing to death. So kind people have taken them inside their homes to save them.
So if you ever need to feel warm and fuzzy, pop over to Sunny Skyz. I can guarantee you’ll find something to make you smile.
Do you have an inspirational or cheery story to share?
May 4, 2018 at 8:19 pm
Oh boy, we all could use some Sunny Skyz these days. It’s gotten so I dread looking at Facebook or Twitter – so much negativity and hatred.
I am intrigued by your serial killer posts, and also by your writing of “cozy” mysteries, AJ. I only recently learned what a “cozy” is, as I have returned to my love of reading after years of reading for my post-graduate degree. Very cool!
I look forward to reading and enjoying your blog, starting this weekend.
Deb
May 4, 2018 at 8:48 pm
Thanks, Deb. If you’ve ever read an Agatha Christie “Miss Marple” book and enjoyed it you’ll love cozies =)
And I agree about the level of hatred and negativity of social media. That’s what makes Sunny Skyz so refreshing.
May 4, 2018 at 8:29 pm
Well, I’ve recently retired from my job as a teacher librarian. (Missing it already but I wouldn’t have been able to keep doing what I was at the other campus anyway, with double the staff and students waiting for the new school to be built). I’ve always kept an emergency child travel card(in Melbourne it’s the myki card)with a few dollars on it, because I take kids on excursions to writers’ festivals and there is always – ALWAYS – at least one who forgets or doesn’t have one. Just before Christmas I was at the station and saw a father and daughter asking about a child card, which for some reason wasn’t available from the vending machine and nobody to sell them a card and a train coming. There was a customer service guy, but no ticket seller. And suddenly I remembered I had a child myki card which I was never going to need again. It even had a bit of money on it. I approached father and daughter and said, “I’ve got a child card I don’t need. Happy Christmas!”
May 4, 2018 at 8:50 pm
Sue, that was such a kind and thoughtful thing to do. Both for your students and then for the father and daughter. Something that I am sure didn’t seem like a big deal for you would have made their day.
May 4, 2018 at 9:56 pm
Sunny Skyz is one of my go-to sites for good news each month when I get my We Are the World Blogfest (#WATWB) posts ready. I love it! People need to be reminded that the world isn’t full of only bad people doing rotten things.
If you’ve never heard of #WATWB, you can check out my personal blog at https://lyndadietz4.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/watwb-to-make-a-wish-and-then-give-it-away/ for my most recent post and the linky list. Anyone can participate, and the list is a manageable size at around 60- some bloggers. We post on the last Friday of the month, and I’m always astounded at some of the cool stories people find. It’s really encouraging! Also, if you check the hashtag on Twitter, you can read previous posts.
Eeeek! Sorry I hijacked your post with a huge comment! I guess I like to spread good news.
May 5, 2018 at 11:44 am
You can never have too much good news, Lynda, so no hijacking noticed =)
May 4, 2018 at 10:01 pm
Oh, I love the idea of a whole site for uplifting stories! And I love each of the examples you gave. I recently spent two weeks without technology (except to post my pre-written blog each morning) and was heartened to learn that the world keeps spinning, crazy as ever, whether or not I am there to monitor it. It was nice to have a break from all the negativity!
May 5, 2018 at 1:24 am
Oh, what a lovely website. I love things like that.
May 5, 2018 at 11:45 am
I love uplifting too, Liz.
May 5, 2018 at 1:35 am
I am so tired of the negativity, mostly the news but it crops up everywhere. This is exactly what I need,
May 5, 2018 at 11:47 am
Glad I could find some sunshine for you, Jacqui =)
May 5, 2018 at 8:59 am
I think an intravenous drip of Sunny Skyz is exactly what’s needed. I loved all of the stories you chose to share, AJ.
May 5, 2018 at 11:48 am
I agree, Karen. I think all news outlets and social media posts should be tempered by positive, uplifting posts like these.
May 8, 2018 at 1:31 am
So good to have a platform to go to in order to restore faith in humanity!
Thanks for sharing those stories. Isn’t it amazing that sometimes it doesn’t take much to make somebody’s day?
How are you doing, enjoying all your free time in May?
May 8, 2018 at 9:51 am
It really doesn’t take much to make someone smile. If only more people would take those few moments to make it happen.
Tamara, it’s kinda nice to not be a slave to my blog again 😉
May 8, 2018 at 3:31 am
Lovely hearing about the good people of the world. In trying to help my middle-school son with math (statistics at this point), I particularly enjoyed reading the first story. Goodness makes the world go ’round. Thanks for sharing.
May 8, 2018 at 9:52 am
My Barbarians aren’t quite up to statistics yet, but it won’t be long – I’m hoping the cobwebs haven’t totally taken over my few math brain cells!
May 8, 2018 at 12:06 pm
Thank you for recommending Sunny Skyz! I’m happy to know a great source of good news!
May 11, 2018 at 4:49 pm
You’re welcome, Jenny. I always find something uplifting there, which is very much needed far too often these days!