This week’s Good News Monday comes from Atlantic City, New Jersey, where a newlywed couple was vacationing. Casey Brooks and his wife were enjoying a great day at the beach when he decided he wanted to take his boogie board out and ride the waves. The act was innocent enough, but as he paddled out further, he felt his almost-brand-new wedding ring slip off his finger. Instantly, he jumped off the board and started searching for it in the sand with his feet.
His wife, realizing what had happened, grabbed some goggles and joined him in the search. After scouring the ocean floor, they realized that the ring was gone forever. Having been married less than a year, this was a really hard pill to swallow.
Later that afternoon, they took a walk along the same beach where the ring had been lost. With each step, they checked for that piece of gold to reflect in the sunlight. Eventually, they came upon a woman with a metal detector. As if their afternoon stroll was not enough of a long shot, they went out on a limb and asked the woman to look for the ring. After determining the approximate location the ring slipped off Casey’s finger, the woman waded out up to her knees and less than 10 minutes later, she was hearing something over her headphones. She scooped one handful of sand, another handful of sand, and on the third scoop, she struck gold- literally. In her hand was Casey’s wedding ring.
The couple never ended up getting the woman’s name but Casey did manage to snap a pretty great picture with the woman.
I’m not sure if I would go as far as to declare this a miracle. But it’s pretty dang close! Putting myself in this couple’s shoes, I would have been devastated if either of us lost our wedding rings. The chances are 1 in a million that you may find it again, especially in the ocean.
I write Good News Mondays posts because they make me smile. I enjoy perusing the internet every day looking for news that continues to show that there are good people in this world and good things CAN happen! It’s important to stay up-to-date on current affairs but it’s nice to have some happy stuff thrown in. The good continues to shine! =)
I started this blog to create a bright spot in my life- to cheer myself up despite the bummer life I was leading. Good News Monday was an idea by my mother, who was sick of hearing about everything that is wrong with the world. Why can’t we hear more of what is right?
I took a brief break from the blog to refocus my energy on finding a new job. I had convinced myself that the job I was at was toxic and it was time to leave. I’m not a quitter and I didn’t exactly want to leave my first job out of college after less than a year. I kept telling myself something else would come along eventually, and to just sit tight. However, it became painfully evident that this job was ruining me. I grew up with my mom always telling me to use my words. Confrontation has never been my strong suit and I’m not particularly used to fighting for myself and my well-being.
My previous supervisor was constantly putting me down. The power trip that girl was on was outrageous. I’m an emotional person, sure. But there were many days that I would leave there crying. If I didn’t cry on the way home, I would cry in my bed, while my boyfriend sat there helplessly. I can’t even begin to tell you the strain it put on our relationship. Men are born problem solvers. It is their natural reaction to fix it when they see someone they care about in pain. This situation I was in, however, was not fixable, at least by him. I knew that if I wanted to be happy, I had to remove any negativity I could. Therefore, I intensified my job search, I put the feelers out to everyone I knew and was applying like crazy.
When I came across my current job on LinkedIn, I knew it was a long shot. It seemed too good to be true that I could find something so perfect. But I said, why the heck not, and applied anyway. I literally heard back within an hour and scheduled a phone interview that same day. The phone interview went well and I was almost immediately introduced to my future boss over lunch. I wanted this more than I had wanted any job previously. I knew this was my ticket out of a nightmare and into my dream career. The day that I received an official offer, I quit my job. While initially, my decision to leave left everyone on cordial terms, it quickly turned sour and I was threatened with my last paycheck and accrued vacation time. That’s a different story for a different day…
I drove away from my last day of work crying, but for the first time, they were happy tears. I was finally free. I promised myself that I would no longer subject myself to that type of bullying again. “You took thirty-FIVE minutes for lunch?”, “The shipping boxes have crease in the tape. You need to be more careful.”, “I sacrificed myself for you and I will never do it again.”, “While you were sick yesterday, I had to do ALL your work, and my own, why didn’t you answer my call?” (oh sorry, I was having a colonoscopy, stemming from the stomach pain that the stress of this job caused), the list could go on and on. Not to mention, I was made to write daily long reports of each and every thing I did that day, and stay as late as I had to for no additional compensation. The stress of that job made me sick almost every day. I was on four different medications to help me get through the day. I was told I will never have a career in marketing because “it takes hard work”. I was essentially a secretary for a monster and every day, I was never doing enough for the company. They thought I would devote myself to the job, my whole life, my heart and soul. I won’t devote my whole self to a job, with no chance of growth, for $12/hour, especially when it’s not something I want to be doing for the rest of my life. If it was marketing, hell yeah I would have devoted myself to it. If it meant growth, knowledge, and advancement in the future, I will do what I have to do.
Many of the questions I asked myself were:
What’s more important? Relationships or a run-of-the-mill job?
Will staying here a year really help me all that much in my future?
Am I being too emotional?
What is better for my future?
The good news part of all of this is that I am now working at a job that may be mundane, but it the perfect foot in the door for a career in marketing and advertising. Every day, I’m regaining my happiness and I accomplished this all on my own. It’s the most gratifying feeling to know that I make my own happiness, I am in control of my life, and that I have the most supportive people in my life.
I urge anyone in a similar situation to do everything you can, in your power, to get out. I realize this may be more difficult the older you get, and the more responsibility you have. I’m extremely lucky that I’m young, college-educated, with no children to have to worry about currently. It’s okay to be a little selfish. If not now, then when? It makes me sad to think that anyone else would be stuck in the same situation. As someone who grew up being the pushover and the one who always puts others before herself, it’s nice to take the reins back a little bit and put my foot down. It’s liberating!
Thanks for reading. This has been quite the journey and I can’t wait to finally start MY life the way I want it! =)
After a bit of a hiatus from the blog, I am back! This is truly something that makes me happy, so I hope to post much more regularly on here.
It’s Monday! And do I have a Good News story for you.
As I am sure everyone has heard, an 84-year-old woman from Florida named Gloria, has won the largest undivided lottery jackpot, $590 million. She accepted a lump sum and once taxes have been taken out, she is set to receive $278 million.
While people win the lottery every day, except for me, it seems, what makes this story extra special is the fact that a man let her go in front of him at the supermarket to buy that ticket. Many are saying he deserves a cut of that jackpot. However, with the computer randomly generating those numbers, it is unlikely he would have received the same set.
It made me smile to read that her and her late husband met just after World War II and built a beautiful life together in Maine, before retiring to Florida. She currently lives in a small home with a tin-roof.
At her age, I am hoping she will spend some of the money to build herself and her family a beautiful, modest home in Florida to enjoy for years to come. She should be free to spend it however she pleases. She seems like the type of woman that will take care of her family first before spending it on herself, which I fully admire. But after 84 years, I’m hoping she will indulge herself a little bit to create a list of wants!
What would I do with $278 million? ….
+ I would pay off all my student loans and debt. What a relief it would be to start my life debt-free!
+ While I’m at it, I would help pay off any debts or loans my family has.
+ I would buy a fixer-upper with my boyfriend and renovate it to our hearts’ content. While we have been exhaustingly apartment hunting, we have both been able to build a list of our wants and needs from a home. Of course, our first apartment won’t be perfect, I have to keep reminding him of that… Separate post on this later!
+ I would help my parents build an addition over our garage. Whether it is an extra bedroom or another family room, we deserve it! Our house is so cramped right now, I thank God every day that my mother is such a saint.
+ While on the topic of my mother, she deserves a beautiful home down on Cape Cod, within walking distance to a private beach.
+ I would take a leave of absence from work and travel anywhere I have ever wanted to go, including re-visiting some favorites.
+ I would donate to several charities of my choice.
Along with all this, I would continue my shopping habits. Just because I have all that money doesn’t mean I need to be frivolous =) I wouldn’t even get rid of my car, I love my Honda Civic!
Gloria, you rock. I know you will continue to live your life humbly and honestly and I wish you and your family years of happiness!
Trying to lose weight is very difficult. I have been struggling for a while now to shed some of the extra pounds on me.
I was very sick at the beginning of April. I had so much pain in my stomach and chest that it hurt to move. After a trip to the emergency room, an appointment with my doctor, and a session with a gastroenterologist, there was a general consensus. They contributed it all to stress. I didn’t even feel stressed, how is that possible?
Last year, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and moderate Acid Reflux. I have spent the better part of the last year learning what I can and can’t eat. I felt like I had it under control, for the most part. However, the night of Easter I was in so much pain I couldn’t stand up. This was not how I usually felt. This was different. Any time I ate, it was in one end, out the other (if you get what I mean). I barely ate anything that whole week.
People often joke that sickness is the best diet. I, personally, don’t think it’s that funny. Yes, I have been wanting to lose some weight but I had really hoped to do it in a healthy way.
I am now below 180 pounds, which was my first goal to reach. The feeling of accomplishment is a huge sense of relief. I feel much more in control of my body than I have ever felt. Of course, there is a long way to go towards my ultimate goal- being between 140-150 lbs.
After being sick, my boyfriend and I decided that together, we want to live a healthier, active lifestyle. He scoffed at me when I bought a pair of 5 pound weights. He insisted they wouldn’t help him in any way. I told him that I needed to start somewhere. After all, I don’t want ridiculously muscular arms. I just want tone and definition. I came home last week and found him shadow-boxing around my room with the weights, dripping in sweat.
It is all about how you use the weights.
Our plan, so far, is working. Of course, he works outside all day walking around, so he gets a great deal of exercise doing that. He has the most toned legs I have ever seen. I sit at a desk all day, for the most part. I do my best to get up as often as possible and I try to spend my lunch break taking a walk.
He wants to start running. I have a confession: I hate running. It probably has to do with the fact that I’m so out of shape that it winds me pretty quickly. But after being sick, I find that my chest HURTS if I have too much cardio-type activity. This is extremely unfortunate to me.
For now, I am focusing on alternating between leg exercises and arm exercises, as these are the two areas I wish to improve.
I am so happy to have a workout buddy who also happens to love me unconditionally, even with a little extra jiggle. We motivate each other in the best possible way and it’s great to know we have similar goals. A lot of couples choose to work out together leading up to their wedding, and even though we are not engaged yet, this is our ultimate plan. We want to look and feel good for years to come!
I am a Massachusetts girl, born and raised. Living just 40 minutes south of Boston, I took frequent trips into the city, first with my family as a child, and later with my friends. I have been to all the touristy places of this great city, I have walked the Freedom Trail multiple times, I have visited all the great museums, been to the theater countless times (including a trip to the Boston Ballet a couple weeks ago), and I have taken part in the Walk For Hunger, which spans 20 miles through the city and outskirts. The city is so rich with history, it is hard not to be attracted to it.
When I heard news of the Boston Marathon bombings, my heart sank. When I heard there were casualties, I frantically texted my best friend, who’s boyfriend moved here from New Jersey to go to grad school in Boston. He lives right there on Boylston Street. My mind instantly thought of her saying to him on that gorgeous Monday afternoon, “Let’s go down to the finish line and cheer on the runners!” After all, it is a joyous event in this city, and one that everyone should take part in at least once.
How could this happen to our city?
When I eventually heard from her later that night, it was certainly a relief. However, it was difficult to be that relieved when 3 were dead and 170+ injured. Why?
I spent last week just feeling sad. I tried to cry, to somehow relieve myself of the pain, but I couldn’t do it. When photos were released of the suspected bombers, my anger set in. How dare you?
When my boyfriend woke up Friday morning and started getting ready for work, I checked my email on my phone. 12 CNN Breaking News alerts. It seemed like a blur as I read them, I couldn’t process the information. He came back to the room after brushing his teeth and all I could tell him was that something really bad was happening again in Boston. We turned on the news and sat in silence as they replayed footage of the shootout that occurred earlier that night in Watertown. Watertown. I work just over the line, in Newton. I eat lunch there on occasion.
I spent the rest of the day glued to the television. I didn’t know what else to do. It was an emotional roller coaster all day long. Police running from house to house, scared residents being evacuated from homes, and that dreadful video of the gunshots played over and over again. It is scary to see this happening, seemingly in my own backyard. My sister and I locked the doors and windows. The city of Boston, along with surrounding communities, was in lockdown but we felt that too. I traveled up to my boyfriend’s parents’ house for the weekend, listening to news coverage the entire drive.
I got to his house and spent the remainder of the afternoon watching the coverage with his dad. Neither of us knew what to say or do. We finally turned off the tv when they had the press conference, raising the “stay in place” policy. I felt even more unsafe once that ban was lifted. How can you lift the ban and assure everyone that they are safe while one of the suspects is still at large?
As we were getting ready to go to dinner, I saw on Twitter that he had been located in a boat in someone’s backyard in Watertown. Again, I planted myself in front of the television, as minute by minute passed. I was watching when live gunfire was exchanged and I was horrified.
When he was finally captured, alive, I felt a brief sense of relief. The terror was over. But is it really over?
My heart is broken for this city and its people. While I was laying in bed with my boyfriend that night, I struggled to put my feelings into words. He looked at me and said, “I realize how lucky I am now to have someone like you in my life”. In that moment, I knew that he was feeling everything that I was feeling. He was struggling for words as well. We spent some time trying to hash out how we truly felt. The conclusion we came to is that we just felt sad. All week. We both wanted to cry for the city, for the victims, for the witnesses, for all the innocence lost. But we couldn’t.
We are in this weird generation, where 9/11 happened but we were just a tad too young to recognize the full terror but we knew something was wrong. Now we fully recognize the terror but don’t quite know how to deal with it.
I was in 6th grade that year. As tradition, 6th graders are taken up to the woods in New Hampshire for a week of camping, science, history, and friendship. This was before the time of cell phones. I don’t remember which classes I took that week and I don’t remember my camp counselor’s name, but what I can recall is the feeling of unity. We sang and we laughed and we played. Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 came and passed for us like any other day. As did Wednesday and Thursday. We continued to sing and laugh and play.
When we stepped off the bus that Friday into our parents’ arms, we were loaded with stories of our week. The excitement could be felt by all of us, but we didn’t notice the same excitement in our parents. Looking back, my mom tried, as all parents did, to share in our excitement. How heartbreaking that must have been for her to figure out a way to tell me that our world had changed.
I don’t even remember how exactly she told me what had happened. All I can recall is sitting in front of the television, watching planes fly into the World Trade Center buildings and seeing them collapse. I couldn’t process it, so I simply didn’t.
As we returned to school the following Monday, it was apparent that none of us knew what to think or do. The same questions kept popping up- Why? Who? How?
After a few weeks, we began to realize life as we knew it was over. Our innocence had been lost and fear had set in. However, I am incredibly grateful for those extra few days in September 2001, when I was able to sing, laugh, and play as a carefree 11-year-old. I cherish that time.
With the attack on Boston, I feel that same sense of innocence lost. Once again, we are back to being extremely cautious, practicing safety in crowds and on planes, and struggling to come to terms with the fact that we are not invisible.
We will recover and we will rebuild. The fear that this will become a cycle is a real one, but it can’t stop us.
Instead, we continue to look for the good. I know Mondays are usually Good News Monday, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. However, there is good news among all this hate. As has been said, many people ran towards the explosion sites, instead of away. They risked their safety and lives to helped the bleeding and injured on the streets. Medics at the finish line, who were there to relieve muscle cramps and aches, were instead put to the task of handling bloodied victims, and in some cases, victims without limbs. No one cried and said I can’t do this. They sprang into action. This, to me, is the best news to hear.
I have such pride in my city. I have faith in the unity of this country. We have proved our resilience before and we will prove it again. I am so thankful to all law enforcement for keeping us safe and doing their job of protecting each and every one of us.
I have been very sick this week. I wish the pain would go away. But alas. I have quite the story to tell!
For Christmas this past year, my boyfriend bought me a beautiful ring. I woke up early Christmas morning to use the bathroom and came back to find the box sitting on my bed waiting.
As a promise ring, it’s not your typical simple diamond ring. I was in complete awe when I opened the box.
The ring is white gold (my favorite!) with a pink tourmaline in the center. On either side of the pink stone are diamonds.
Now let me tell you how pleased I was that this ring was so unique. I do love diamonds, as most girls do. After all, they are a Girl’s Best Friend. However, this was not an engagement ring. The fact that he had enough insight to realize this was shocking to me, although he did have some help. The thought that he put into it is what is most special to me. Pink is is my absolute favorite color. As he well knows, the walls in my room are painted in magenta pink with light pink clouds. My room glows pink. Anytime I buy sheets, he urges me to go for any color other than pink. I think he feels overwhelmed…
It’s so perfect!
When I arrived home a couple weeks ago from work on a beautiful day, I discovered the window was open in my room. After I had settled in, my boyfriend goes, “You realize there is a ring IDENTICAL to the one I gave you sitting in your window?!” He pulled it out and I could hardly believe my eyes.
It has been sitting in my window sill for probably 10 years. The memory of the ring came back to me and I remembered seeing it at Wal Mart and needing it. It wasn’t a hard purchase to make, it was only $8. I wore it for a little while, but as all cheap jewelry does, it turned my finger a disgusting green color. For whatever reason, I put it in my window sill and it has been there ever since.
How perfect is this story? As I have said before, I love love. I never believed that true love would happen to me until I met him. There are plenty of signs that he’s the one.
I knew I loved him when my dad made him eggs one morning. Very runny eggs. They seriously looked gross. (My mom later told me that this is how my dad prefers his eggs, so whaddya know?) My boyfriend sat and ate the entire plate of eggs because he didn’t want to be rude. I watched him struggle down the eggs and with every bite, I became more and more assured that he was The One.
We complement each other perfectly. When we have a bag of Blue Doritos, he likes the “dusty” ones as he calls them. I like the ones with the least amount of “dust”. I can be irrational and he is typically the most rational person I know. I soften him a bit and he hardens me a bit.
I can truthfully say that he is my best friend and one of the best things to ever happen to me.
When we discovered this ring in my window, I knew.
I love love. I’m obsessed with stories of reunited lovers- lovers that would stop at nothing until they are together. I enjoy fairy tales so much that I took a class on them in college. As my boyfriend tells me constantly, Disney is not real life. This story will prove him wrong, in more ways than one.
Once upon a time, two stray dogs met on the streets of Terre Haute, Indiana. Jade and Ben, both mixed German Shepherds, bonded instantly. Last summer, Jade became pregnant with Ben’s puppies.
After being discovered on the street, the Terre Haute Humane Shelter brought both dogs in to be cared for.
The dogs were inseparable during their time at the shelter, even sharing the same pen.
Enter the Lawlers, who went to the shelter to adopt a dog. They chose Ben, splitting the pair up.
He lasted about three weeks in their home before running away in search of Jade. The lovesick dog traveled 10 miles to the shelter – a 24 hour journey!
“He came out of nowhere and started licking her through the fence, like they were kissing”, Courtney Lawler told reporters.
The Lawlers soon realized that they couldn’t separate this pair again, so they adopted Jade as well.
Ben and Jade “want to be together,” Debbie Floyd, the Humane Society board’s president, told reporters. “There hasn’t been a lot of human love in their lives. They found love with each other and that what’s make them happy … Hopefully, they will live their lives happily ever after.”
No one likes to admit that they are overweight. I fought against that word for so long. I remember my first doctor’s appointment a couple years ago when the doctor weighed me then looked at the BMI chart. After telling my supervisor at work about it, he replied with, “You are tall, blonde, and gorgeous. Unless you can’t fit through a doorway, there is no way you will ever be overweight.”
According to the BMI scale, however, I am smack dab in the middle of the overweight category.
In high school, I was a little over 100 lbs. For my height (5’9), this was far too skinny. I ate a lot and nothing happened to my body. In fact, some people even MADE FUN of me for being skinny. Really?
I kept this body for just about two years in college, until I met my boyfriend. Funny how that works, huh?
Now onto confession time. This past summer, I weighed just about 200 lbs. My friends and I were all unemployed so we made music videos to pass the time. The debut of the music video happened at my house and my whole family sat in to watch it on our big tv.
I was completely horrified. That is how I look? How did I let myself go? I vowed to turn over a new leaf.
Since then, I have lost about 20 pounds by dieting alone. I cut out my favorite coffee drink from Dunkin Donuts and just started to watch what I eat a little better. I tried exercising, but I hit a minor snag.
Second confession time. From about 2002-2006, I spent every afternoon upstairs in my room dancing to choreographed bubblegum pop songs. In some cases, I copied the exact moves. Other cases, I invented my own. HOURS were spent each day as song after song played. Unfortunately, all that dancing hurt the infrastructure of my house (not kidding). There is a crack in the kitchen ceiling below from excessive shimmying and shaking around up there.
Is this embarrassing to admit? Yes. I was a skinny-mini and I still cracked the ceiling. Just imagine what it sounds like now when I move around up there.
So, my only options for now are yoga and pilates. Both of which I love, so it is not the end of the world. I just recently invested in a couple weights at Target when they were on sale. Now I have incorporated those into my workout routine.
I hope you will follow me on this journey! I will update periodically involving my efforts and to share some tips and tricks with you. I’m the laziest person in the world. If I can do it, anyone can!
In high school, my best friend told me to sit down and watch Pay It Forward. He didn’t tell me the premise or really anything about it. I was initially drawn in by Jon Bon Jovi playing the bad boy.
SPOILER ALERT. I was sobbing by the end of the movie. Obviously, I won’t give away why. However, the primary message of the movie is to do one good deed and then the next person will do a good deed, and it will cause a wave of good deeds around the world. What a simple message. It is something I think of often, and I LOVE hearing stories of people “paying it forward”. Such an inspiration!
It just so happens that this Good News comes from my home state, Massachusetts.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am an avid Instagrammer. Consisting mostly of pictures of my dogs, my account has 200+ photos. It’s a great way for me to keep up with my family, as mostly everyone has one.
In this week’s addition of Good News Monday, see a little boy named Max find his favorite stuffed bunny through the power of the image-sharing site.
sunshineinbetween.com 