All The Good Stuff that happened this week - CNN

This Mother's Day is going to be an interesting one. Most of us will be celebrating without the hugs, gatherings, and delicious eggs Benedict brunch we normally enjoy. Not to mention, more people than usual are probably worried about their moms (or moms worried about their children, of course). And don't forget, for those who are missing their moms or maybe don't have a great relationship with them, Mother's Day isn't exactly the fancy-card-and-big-bouquet holiday it is for others. Wait, this is supposed to be an uplifting newsletter! I'm just saying, Mother's Day can be complicated -- especially now -- and that's OK. It just means we need to get more creative in the ways we show our love and remember to reach out to those who need a little extra comfort. It's the motherly thing to do. If there's something you'd like to see here, updating text blocks, shoot us an email. Know someone who could use a little Good Stuff? Send them a copy! We hope you love it as much as we do. Our favorites this week Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week Our top tales of Covid kindness  As usual, so many people are doing so many great things during this difficult time, it's hard to pick just one! Here are a few we really loved this week:  Texas teenager Valerie Xu raised donations and bought more than 10,000 protective masks  to deliver to a Dallas medical center. Not only does she want people to be safe, she's also trying to lessen the hatred directed toward Asian Americans in the wake of the outbreak. (Which she shouldn't have to do! Look at this girl, trying to combat coronavirus AND xenophobia. A little queen.)  Callaghan McLaughlin, a 6-year-old from Saanich, British Columbia, sets up a stand outside his house every morning. But he's not selling lemonade -- he's offering jokes to spread joy and laughter to his neighbors while respecting social distancing.  Yes, that's a pony in the window! Eleven-year-old Jorja Boller wanted to cheer up older adults in the nursing homes around her hometown of Beatrice, Nebraska. So she dresses up Peanut, her pony, and leads him around so residents can say hello through their windows. One for the (year)books Believe it or not, yearbooks are still part of the high school experience. And for the class of 2020, they're a little spot of normalcy in a year that's been anything but. Trouble is, they're expensive! Patrick Rodio, an avid marathon runner from New Jersey, recently raised funds during a run to help the graduating class at the local Collingswood High School get their hands on the yearly mementos. Rodio set up a donation site, donned a shirt with "Run 856" on it -- the town's area code and the name of the local running club -- and took to the streets for 20.2 miles (Get it? 20.20 for 2020!).  His almost-marathon attracted a lot of attention. Students and parents stood far apart on the side of the road, cheering and ringing cowbells. By the time his 20.2 miles were up, Rodio had raised more than $5,000 of yearbook cash for a grateful student body.  Calling all dogs!  Pop quiz! What are the most popular dog breeds in America? The American Kennel Club released its list of the top breeds for 2019, and we're not going to give too much away, but let's just say the list is ruled by an old favorite. The ranking only includes the 193 breeds that the AKC recognizes, so unfortunately, mixed breeds like maltipoos, goldendoodles and whatchamacallits aren't on it. Want more hints? The photo above is a big one. The list also includes a Snoopy and a Rin Tin Tin, but no Lassies or Marmadukes. Get guessing! Answers are here. Raise a glass to... Jodan Price, a FedEx worker who went out of his way to make a little girl's birthday extra special. When Price came to Emma Paternoster's door on her birthday, her mother Liz says the 6-year-old was hoping for a gift. She was disappointed when the package turned out to be some boring stuff for her dad. Liz Paternoster offhandedly mentioned it was Emma's birthday and, wouldn't you know it, less than an hour later Price returned with cupcakes from Dairy Queen for the birthday girl. The family was floored by the kind gesture, but here's the best part: When they raved about Price online, everyone who knew the man said they weren't surprised at all. Looks like good is as good does.  A bright idea Face masks are the future — but that can be tough for hearing impaired people who often rely on facial expressions, emotions, lip reading and very clear speech to communicate. (Plus, it's kind of rough never seeing anyone smile, right?) Dr. Sheri Mello, an audiologist in Raleigh, North Carolina, has started handing out clear face masks for free to help her patients. You may have seen patterns for these around social media. The middle part is made of vinyl shower curtain material or page protectors. Mello started by asking her clientele if anyone knew how to sew, but she didn't need to say much more: People started dropping off dozens of masks, and soon other people in her life got involved in the project.  A tip from one of Mello's clients: He says he wishes TV reporters would use clear masks too, because television is especially difficult for the hearing impaired. So these masks are for everyone. If you're close to someone who's hard of hearing, maybe look into some of them for yourself!  You gotta see this Hear me out: I have this thing about big American flags. Think the ones that fly over car dealerships or out on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere. In my head, their long billows are softly whispering, "Amerrrica! Amerrrrrrica!" Needless to say, this massive Stars and Stripes painted on a field in Indiana really hits the spot. Justin Riggins and a group of his family and friends spent two days painting the 10,000-square-foot flag on a swath of his land in Crawfordsville, northwest of Indianapolis. The group wanted it to be a symbol of hope and appreciation for heroes of the pandemic. "With everything that everyone is going through in this pandemic, I wanted something positive for people," Riggins told CNN. "I'm very patriotic and I wanted to recognize there are a lot of heroes on the front lines." Amerrrica!  Heroes among us Who's in the mood for some BBQ? Since 2011, CNN Hero Stan Hays and his nonprofit Operation BBQ Relief have helped bring more than 3 million free barbecue meals to communities hit by natural disasters. The coronavirus crisis is a different kind of natural disaster, so Hays knew his organization needed to kick into a different gear to help as many people as possible. The result is Operation Restaurant Relief, a program that aims to help small businesses stay afloat, keep people employed and provide the free meals Operation BBQ Relief is known for. Hays' non-profit contracts with restaurants or caterers that have closed or are on the verge of closing. The businesses get a fee and food to work with, and in return, they prepare at least 2,500 meals a day for struggling people in their community. Boom — two groups helped in one delicious arrangement.  Wanna get away? Close your eyes. You're in Paris, looking out over a bridge in Parc Monceau. The flowers, and the city itself, is in full bloom. Take a deep breath and smell the lilies and paulownia blossoms, warm and blushing in the sunshine. It's peak season in the City of Lights, but since none of us are going anywhere right now, CNN Travel has a collection of fun, fascinating tips and resources to take a little virtual escape there whenever you want.  Hear, hear! The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer somebody else up. - Mark Twain, American writer and master of adages, in one of his notebooks dated November 1896.  Otters are fairly dexterous little creatures. It's not unusual to see them cracking open oysters, fiddling with toys or holding hands with their little otter sweethearts. They also like to juggle rocks, and new research finds that particular playful behavior may be a sign that an otter is hungry and waiting for its next meal. Researchers believe that otters bat or throw stones in the air, catch them and even roll them around on their chests and necks as a way of practicing or improving the way they retrieve food from mussels, clams and other things they would typically forage in the wild. But when they observed otters in zoos and aquariums, they noticed the animals juggled more when it was close to feeding time. Why? It's still a mystery to scientists — but very adorable to the rest of us.  Impact your world Two weeks ago I shared my experience as a fledgling strawberry farmer, and I am proud to announce that the strawberries finally RIPENED! They are delicious and taste like victory. Thank you to everyone who sent in strawberry advice and similar gardening trials. We are in this together. The pandemic has a lot of people thinking more about where their food comes from and how they can grow some themselves, so if you're interested in starting a garden (or upping your current garden game), this article has some great advice.  One more thing ... Psst ... here's some more good news: CNN is launching a brand-new podcast about the delightful, the surprising, and the jaw-droppingly awesome. As a member of The Good Stuff family, we want to give you the opportunity to be among the first to hear it. Claim your exclusive access here, and if you would be so kind, take the short survey afterward to help us make the show the best it can be! Shameless animal video There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now. I asked my mom what kind of animal she wanted to see this week, and she said wombat. So here's a wombat named Pete, farting and demolishing a piece of corn. Love you, mom. <3 (Click here to view)

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All The Good Stuff that happened this week - CNN
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