The Good News

When looking back on the year, it's easy to focus on the bad that happened. Though there was bad that took place in my life and the world. I have to try to remember that there is good in life too.

Let's remember some good stuff from 2014 and keep the tradition of finding the good in 2015.

• Lets start with my Seattle Seahawks. They fought their way to the Superbowl and won.  First time in franchise history. I'm hoping for a repeat this year.
•  Do you remember the stray dogs of Sochi? They were rounded up and killed before the Olympics started. Okay, that's not the good news. The good news is this crime against canines prompted Olympians and others to set up adoption rescue efforts to save the dogs.
• Openly gay football player, Michael Sam, is drafted in the NFL draft. Sure, he's been cut by a lot of teams, hopefully not because he is gay.  I wish him success in the NFL.
• Isaiah Austin drafted. Days before the draft, Austin was diagnosed with genetic disorder Marfan syndrome. This forced his retirement. However, during the draft,  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that NBA was drafting him, making a dream come true for him. 
• The Ice Bucket Challenge may have wasted water, but it also raised $115
  
  million for ALS research.
• Because of the waste in water in the Ice Bucket Challenge, and to try to  break a dangerous Twitter drinking game challenge, Brent Lindeque started #RAKnominations, or Random Acts of Kindness Nominations.  He began by giving a homeless person a sandwich, chocolate and a coke, filmed it, then nominated two people to do the same within 24 hours. 
• Cincinnati Bengal, Devon Still's four-year-old daughter Leah was in treatment for stage-four cancer. Though he was cut from the team, they put him on the practice squad so he could support his daughter. The team also sold his jersey, raising $1.25 million that went to his daughter's cancer fight. 
• Bill and Melinda Gates donate $50 million to help stop the spread of Ebola.
• Thankfully all the news about police officers isn't bad. 
• After a routine traffic stop, one bought a car seat for a mother having financial troubles. 
• Cops in Florida received a hang up 9-1-1 call, and when they went to investigate found a struggling family without a Christmas tree. They used their own money to buy a tree for the family and was set to make sure there were gifts under it come Christmas.
• The police department in Lowell, Michigan pulled people over for minor infractions, but instead of giving out tickets, gave out Christmas gifts instead.
• In Mount Dora, Florida, the police department began Shop with a Cop, which paired officers with children of low income families, who then took them out to buy Christmas presents.
•  Malala Yousafzai became the youngest co recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in the right to education for children. Two years before, Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban on her way to school, which sparked her mission.
• As of December 10th, Amber Alerts had helped rescue and return 723 children in 2014.
• Did you see the video of the deaf baby that heard for the first time? Melty heart.
• This. Seriously, happy Muslims. The Honesty Policy, a group of British Muslims wanted to show the world that Muslims are happy. Muslims are viewed so negatively and disrespectfully by so many, I think this is a good way to remind everyone that they are just people like you and me. This goes with any culture, religion, or race. The happy Muslim videos have spread to Germany, Gaza Singapore, and many more...There's this one too, featuring Muslim women doing a variety of everyday things. It started as a video among friends that went viral.
• Speaking of Happy, then there's this.
• Using drones to do good. From flying ambulance tool kits, to lifeguard drones, to drones made to search out wildfires, these drones are being put to good use to help save the environment and lives.
• Scientists confirm that the Ozone Layer is healing itself thanks to a 1987 treaty signed by 197 nations that phased out man-made chlorofluorocarbons.
•  After 10 years, a girl swept away by an Indonesian tsunami is reunited with her family. News reports of this reunion resulted in a cafe owner recognizing their son, also lost in the tsunami, as a homeless boy who slept near her business. This family got both their children back from a tsunami that killed thousands

 See, the world isn't all bad. Let's keep that in mind as we venture into the next year. Let's try to focus on the positive things so that the atrocities don't bring us too far down.