Merry Christmas! What a treat to be sharing Good Stuff ON Christmas Eve. I thought it would be fun to take a look at the very best positive news from 2022. Let these stories warm your heart as the year comes to a close. One thing I love to see, looking through all of the great stories we've enjoyed together over the year, is what variety there is. We've visited every corner of the world! We've met so many different types of people. We've witnessed so many passions and achievements and moments of raw, beautiful humanity. No matter how or what you're celebrating today, I hope this brings you comfort and joy.
If there's something you'd like to see here, drop us a line. Know someone who could use a little Good Stuff? Send them a copy! We hope you love it as much as we do. |
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| The Best Stuff of 2022 Revisit the stories you loved and shared the most this year
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A story about a woman's life-changing gift to two refugee girls on a plane led to an incredible update
This is one of those stories where you can literally see the ripples of kindness extend into the world. Ayda Zugay originally told CNN about a woman who had given her a sweet note and a $100 bill when Zugay and her sister were aboard a plane fleeing the former Yugoslavia in 1999. Thanks to that story, the two sisters found the mystery woman: Tracy Peck. As if that weren't amazing enough, the three were reunited when they appeared as special guests at this year's "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" event. It's worth it to relive every chapter. Read Part 1 here Read Part 2 here Read Part 3 here |
A man cycled 870 miles to Belgium for a lavender croissant
Y'all really liked this story. Was it the lavender, or the croissant? Or just the total sympathy we all have for some willing to cycle hundreds of miles for something they crave? |
Time named its 50 Greatest Places in the World for 2022
Miami, Doha, São Paulo, Seoul, Toronto, Copenhagen, Nairobi, Portland, Jamaica and Uzbekistan, it was your year! (The International Space Station was also on the list -- making it the only entry that's, well, out of the world.) |
A mother duck hatched 10 ducklings in a Florida maternity ward
Call it animal instinct -- although since she and her new brood couldn't exactly fly away, they did have to be escorted out as VIPs. |
The record-breaking Mali nonuplets celebrated their first birthday
The five girls and four boys were a medical miracle at their birth. The nonuplets made history as the most surviving babies delivered in a single birth, the oversight of which was an international collaboration. Now, they're thriving and reaching new milestones with their family. |
The James Webb Space Telescope showed us the beauty of the universe in a new focus
Just look at that sharp new image of the Pillars of Creation, a star-forming region in the Eagle Nebula. NASA's new telescope captures things that were considered too old, distant or faint to be rendered by previous technology. It also showed us a new up-close and personal view of Neptune, and other astronomically cool subjects. |
A Chinese man who was kidnapped as a boy found his way back to his parents with the help of a map he drew from memory
This is the power of the internet at work. Li Jingwei couldn't remember the names of his parents or the village where he was taken when he was 4 years old. But he could remember the rice paddies and ponds near his house, and where bamboo shoots grew in the nearby mountain. He posted a hand-drawn map online and asked for help identifying the location. It eventually reached the right people, and Li had a tearful reunion with his mother. |
We met the Sun City Poms, a group of high-kicking retiree cheerleaders in Arizona
Sequined uniforms? Sweet baton moves? The energy and athleticism of people half their age? These ladies are crushing stereotypes about retirement, and showing you can sparkle at any age. |
The world came together for Ukraine
The tragedies unfolding during the Russian invasion of Ukraine were punctuated by a few shining moments of hope. We met a 10-year-old checkers champ who gladly stumped willing opponents, all to raise some money for her country's defense. A young Ukrainian girl touched hearts when she sang "Let It Go" in a bomb shelter. Later, when she was taken to safety, she sang Ukraine's national anthem during a charity event in Poland. The world also raised awareness through art: National Geographic sold special prints from its renowned photographers to benefit Ukraine. And the gorgeous Ukrainian folk art tradition of egg painting, known as pysanky, attracted new appreciation. |
After Queen Elizabeth died, British citizens found comfort and community doing what they do best: queueing
The queue to pay respects to the late Queen stretched for miles, and the wait lasted days. But fellowship (and the occasional celebrity sighting) helped mourners keep calm and carry on. |
We met 190-year-old Jonathan, the oldest tortoise in the world
Jonathan has seen war. Jonathan has seen peace. Jonathan has had a long and varied string of lovers. Jonathan probably knows the secrets of the world. Viva Jonathan! |
An Orthodox pop group spread Jewish joy on TikTok
I wrote this story, and I absolutely love the positive energy (and just regular energy) the Miami Boys Choir radiates. I love that social media embraced them and was enthusiastic to learn more about a little-known musical genre. If you need some new Hanukkah jams, all their biggest hits are on Spotify! |
Two veterans shared their life-changing friendship, forged in battle in Afghanistan
Former Afghan Air Force Lt. Col. Hazem Amiry narrowly escaped Afghanistan after the Taliban took over. His longtime friend, retired US Air Force Maj. Tony J. Short, pushed behind the scenes day and night to help Amiry and his family flee to safety in the United States. Their heartbreaking, harrowing story shows the bonds of brotherhood at its finest. |
Scientists sequenced the human genome for the first time ever
Think of a DNA sequence as a giant jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces. By putting all of these pieces together for the first time ever, we are one step closer to understanding who we are, how we evolved, and how we can live better in the future. Amazing, right? |
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Sponsor Content by CompareCards |
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Rec of the week Brought to you by CNN Underscored |
How to deal with your holiday stress right now, according to experts Raise your hand if you're like us and feeling the holiday stress right about now. Underscored spoke with experts to get tips to reduce your holiday stress and they recommended some products to ease tension — so you can focus on what's really important this time of year: Spending time with friends and family. |
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Shameless animal video There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now. |
Merry Christmas from Down Under! These koalas, kangaroos and other cuties had a holiday to remember. (Click here to view) |
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