Dear Reader:

When I awoke yesterday I automatically began opening my shutters in the den (my happy room) and noticed that the skies were overcast and the rain appeared imminent. A pretty gloomy-looking day. I thought to myself that I sure was glad it was Wednesday weather and not Thursday when I am traveling to Primrose Pre-School to tell stories and read books for Lachlan and Rutledge’s classes.

It is a pretty long jaunt this morning with lots of potential, unexpected delays on I-26 or 526 or Highway 17. Luckily the forecast for today looks sunny and promising! Now I just need to pray for no bumper-fender accidents or closed lane delays. Traveling between Mt. Pleasant and Summerville gets to be more of a challenge every year…with a growing population with lots of new industries and opportunities… the good with the not-so-good side effects.

Good Morning America came on while I was finishing turning on lights and getting the day started. And that is when I heard two wonderful stories about two different teenagers who wanted to make a difference for their peers on Valentines Day. Both of their unselfish endeavors left me stunned by their kindness and sacrifice towards their fellow students.

The first one involved an anonymous student who made a  Valentine for every single locker in the high school- taking hours the night before to accomplish (with permission of the principal.) Here is an excerpt for the news article.

Troy High School: Troy, Ohio

A student who wanted to remain anonymous took it upon herself to make sure everyone had something on this day dedicated to love. So she started working back in September, carefully folding hundreds of colorful origami hearts — one for each student. Her hard work became public this morning as each student walked in today to find a heart hanging from their lockers. 

Troy High School principal, Katherine Weaver, said not only did every student get a heart, but the person behind it all wrote a message on each “you are loved.” Weaver said the student who created the hearts had help hanging them all up on the lockers after school on Monday. The school posted about the act of kindness on its Facebook page, getting hundreds of shares, likes and comments. Weaver said many students don’t use their lockers daily, but today many couldn’t wait to get to theirs and find their Valentine.

No longer had I recovered from that inspiring story of caring for others on Valentines Day than I “got hit” with this second story that left me shaking my head in renewed hope and wonder.

High School senior student Hayden Godfrey saved for years from his after school and weekend job at McDonalds, along with other side jobs, to get enough money to give every single girl at his high school a carnation for Valentines Day.

It’s never fun to be the only one without a Valentine. So this high school student took it upon himself to make sure every girl at his Utah high school felt special for Valentine’s Day.

High school senior Hayden Godfrey, 17, saved for a year and a half to buy flowers for every single one of the 834 girls at Sky View High School, The Herald Journal reported.

That’s $450 for 900 carnations.

“So I did a little something today,” Godfrey wrote on Facebook. “Today I passed out 900 carnations, one to every girl at SVHS and it was totally worth it. I don’t think anything can compare to seeing every girl at your school holding a flower as they walk through the halls.”

Seeing these random acts of kindness on television, instead of worrisome national and international news, is so uplifting. I just wanted to share these stories with you today, in case you missed them, so you would be uplifted too.

And as if these two newscasts weren’t wonderful enough…here comes Louboutina, the hugging dog.

She has become a favorite of New York City residents by coming over…sitting on her back legs and simply hugging whoever she picks out from the crowd. The owner thinks she senses who needs a hug, perhaps a little more than others, at that moment.

Here is an excerpt from one article: People Magazine: Pets

Louboutina, or Loubie, is doing some crucial volunteer work.

According to Time Out New York, the five-year-old golden retriever loves spending her free time giving hugs on the sidewalks of New York City.

Loubie has a special knack for spotting the humans who could really use a hug, and the pup isn’t shy about saddling up to offer her affection. She can usually be found on 5th Ave. and 14th St., hanging out with her owner, Cesar.

Cesar says the compassionate canine started holding hands over three years ago, which eventually evolved into giving hugs. Obviously, he doesn’t have any complaints about the adorable behavior and is happy to share the love.

For those of you not living in N.Y.C., you can enjoy a vicarious squeeze by following Louboutina’s Instagram (@louboutinanyc), which already has over 13,000 fans.

Cesar hopes one day that Ellen Degeneres will call and want a hug from Loubie too. *Let’s hear it for Loubie going on the Ellen Degeneres Show…I can’t imagine Ellen not wanting a hug from this remarkable dog.

Here is a link for more photos of Loubie and her hugs.

Louboutina is the New York dog that loves to hug everyone

So until tomorrow… I hope these true stories of kindness and caring have uplifted you as much as they did me. I think we need to pass along these stories as often and fast as we can. There’s a lot of good in the world if we just keep our eyes open to it…and then share it!

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

One of our new local favorite huggers is Nala, Anne’s new puppy. She is playing with her newest Valentine…monkey with a squeak. This is hopefully keeping her occupied while Anne recovers from a pulled back…not fun! Hope you recover quickly Anne! Even Nala looks sad for Anne’s condition…can’t get out and play as much.