The 5 Best Feel-Good Friday Stories of 2024

Many of you know that I lost my last sister this September. Grief is hard, and I am blessed with good friends and community to navigate it, as well as forging new relationships in the midst of loss. One of my sister’s spiritual daughters (my sister was a pastor) has been forging a friendship with me and has kept in regular contact since then. I think it was Joni Mitchell who said, “Well, something’s lost, but something’s gained In living every day.”

So, this week’s Feel-Good Friday is a celebration of Americans and their stories of sacrifice, unconditional love, charity, and always fighting for the good that resides in our nation and its people. With just a few days before the end of 2024, this FINAL 2024 Feel-Good Friday celebrates the top five stories that resonated with you this year, and gratitude that the outlook for America and its citizens is looking much brighter than it did in September 2021. 

No. 4: 5-Year-Old Who Saved His Neighbors in a House Fire Earns Worthy Hero’s Reward

Thanks to the situational awareness (uncommon for a 5-year old) of Bennett Bashford, he was able to wake up his father Zach, who then alerted their neighbors of a fire in their home. The Bashfords helped to save an entire family from certain death and forged a bond between father and son, and neighbor-to-neighbor that will not be broken. A young one knows that he matters to the world and his community, and understands the importance of being and having good neighbors. 

No. 3: Kelvin Ellis Gives His Last Dollar to a Homeless Man, Who Happened to Be a Millionaire

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” In our journey through this life, we never know who we might encounter and how they could affect our life. It’s the stories that Hollywood tries to write, but life is often better than fiction. Young Kelvin Ellis thought he was doing a good deed for a homeless person, and ended up encountering a millionaire who took him under his wing as a friend and mentor. You cannot make that stuff up, and it’s a beautiful example that despite all they are up against, the kids are definitely going to be all right. 

Thus, “Feel-Good Fridays” was born and is now a toddler! It’s been three years of seeking out and highlighting stories that celebrate Americans and the American story. As Samwise Gamgee said to Frodo Baggins in “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”: “There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” In this truly amazing year, our now President-elect Donald Trump pretty much said the same thing when on July 13, after surviving an assassination attempt on his life, he stood to his feet, pumped his fist in the air, with blood streaming down his face, and said, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

No. 5: Bone Marrow Donor Buys More Years for a Man’s Family, Then Forges a Bond With Widow

This very popular article was a surprise, because it didn’t have a concrete “Happy” ending. While Jill Thompson’s donation of bone marrow to Montie Duncan bought him some time with his family, he never recovered fully from the transplant and soon died. However, Jill forged a bond with Montie’s wife Marla, and many years later they have formed a strong friendship. As one commenter said, “It is one of those unmistakable truths of life: the full magnitude of happiness and joy is often realized when we have experienced grief and suffering.” Sometimes we understand that spectrum of joy more fully because of the depth of our grief, as well as the people who walk with us through that grief.

Happy New Year!

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