We could all use a little good news. Here are 5 stories making us smile

March 01, 2022

Meagan McGinnes

We could all use a little more joy in our lives, especially now. It's been a tough few years, months, days ... . If you're feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone! It's OK if you need a little break. That's where we think our new pop-up newsletter, The Pick Me Up, may be able to help.

Every weekday afternoon for the month of March, we’ll share something that’s bringing us joy. It may be a story that shows the good of humanity, an archival video highlighting the spirit of Boston or a photo of a dog in boots (or cats in hats; we love them all). It’ll be short and sweet, and meant to make you smile. We hope you sign up!

To kick off the start of this newsletter, here are five things bringing us joy right now:

This story about how Vermont's "snowflake man" created the first-ever images of fleeting snow crystals. Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley is credited with saying no two snowflakes (or crystals) are alike, and that's certainly the case in these awesome photos from the 1800s. Talk about cool, right?
Coffee cake streusel muffins. Specifically, this recipe from Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst. It sounds like the perfect treat to accompany a lazy, lounge-filled morning.
Service dogs. What good boys (and girls)! Radio Boston recently hosted a special hour about man's best friend, and this segment on everything from seeing-eye dogs to pups who are ready to jump to the aid of an owner in a wheelchair makes my heart swell.
Beating Bobby Flay. Well, I didn't. But local chef Tom Berry did, and told The Boston Globe all about it.
Violet, a 5-year-old pot-belly pig, finally finding her forever home! She's been at the Animal Rescue League’s Dedham Care Center for the past seven months, according to WBZ.

Want more stories like this? Sign up for The Pick Me Up to get a brief nugget of joy sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon through March.

One last thing: We also want to hear what's bringing you joy right now!

Did you or someone you love get engaged or married? Go on a trip? Accomplish a dream?
Did you beat a personal best time for a run? Finish a book that's been on your shelf for years? Keep a plant alive for more than a few months?
Did your dog or cat do something super cute?
Did something on the internet make you laugh?

Big or small, if it's making your smile we want to hear about it. It could be a personal anecdote, a story, a photo, a meme — it's up to you. We're interested.