👋 Welcome back to Smileworthy!

This week: a hater tried to insult a coffee shop and accidentally sparked a $10,000 fundraiser. Oops. Also we’ve got: communities pulling together when it matters most, Wikipedia turning 25, and a robin who picked her favourite human and refused to leave.

Let’s jump right in👇

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Feel good stories from Happilynews.com guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

When freezing rain forced an Air Canada flight to divert to Gander, Newfoundland, stranded passengers discovered something amazing - the small airport town that sheltered thousands after 9/11 hasn't lost its legendary warmth.

The Montreal-to-St. John's flight touched down unexpectedly, leaving 150 to 200 passengers stuck as icy conditions paralyzed the region. With only a handful of taxis running, getting to a hotel seemed impossible.

Then Jackie Freake, assistant manager of the Quality Hotel and Suites, turned to Facebook.

Within minutes of her post on the Gander Connect group, ordinary citizens started showing up in their own cars. One after another, drivers arrived to ferry weary travelers through the dark Newfoundland night and find them somewhere to stay for the night.

"Locals were coming in their cars and in the taxis that weren't being used to come and shuttle us to the hotel," said passenger Monet. "There was probably about 150-200 of us, maybe even more."

For Monet, the scene felt powerfully familiar. Gander's response to September 11 – when residents welcomed nearly 7,000 passengers from 38 grounded planes – inspired the Tony-winning musical Come From Away.

"It was like experiencing Come From Away all over again," she said. "It's nice to know that the heart of the community is the same."

But the kindness didn't stop at check-in.

The next morning, Freake arrived early to find travelers already lined up outside, needing rides back to the airport. She reached for her phone again - and the community did the rest. Some towns just have it in their DNA.

It’s not all doom and gloom out there. Here’s some positive news items from publications around the world.

📍Oregon, USA
Coffee Shop Transforms Anti-Immigrant Comment Into Fundraiser For Neighbors
When Heretic Coffee pledged to protect immigrant customers amid the widespread community backlash against ICE raids, a commenter wrote: "It will be great when you get arrested for harboring hope they tape your perp walk." But after eagle eye’d spelling punctuation enthusiasts noticed the missing comma created the phrase “Harboring hope,” Heretic Coffee jumped on it. The shop turned the new phrase "Harboring Hope" into stickers – and began selling them with all profits going to good causes. They expect to donate close to $10,000 to feed their immigrant neighbors. (Read more 👉 Good Good Good) Buy them here.

📍Washington, USA
Firefighters Help Deliver Groceries After Delivery Driver Suffers Accident
When an Instacart driver got into an accident mid-route, three firefighters from Central Pierce Fire & Rescue didn't just respond to the crash – they grabbed the groceries and hand-delivered them to the waiting customer. Above and beyond the badge. (Read more 👉 Today)

📍South Carolina, USA
This Deputy Was Sent To Protect a Child – And Ended Up Becoming Her Mom
In 2023, Deputy Britanie Bratcher responded to a call to protect a young girl. At that time she had no idea it was going to change her life for the better. As soon as she arrived, she felt an instant connection with the girl. After rescuing her from the situation she then spent years navigating a difficult legal process to make their family official. And, finally, on January 12, the adoption was finalized. (Read more 👉 SunnySkyz)

📍USA
People Are Ditching Their Phones For Good Old Fashioned Letters
Forget instant replies. People are turning to pen pals, wax seals, and typewriter clubs to slow down and actually connect. One devoted letter-writer in California corresponds with about a dozen people regularly. And as one 28-year-old in Ontario put it: "The girls are going analog in 2026." (Read more 👉 AP News)

📍Pennsylvania, USA
A Father And Daughter Are Now Firefighters At The Same Station
Fourteen-year-old Briella Neidermyer just became the youngest female firefighter at Garden Spot Fire Rescue – and now she answers calls alongside her dad Kirk, a 25-year veteran. "I've always watched him run out of the house and put on that blue light," she said. Now she's following in his footsteps. (Read more 👉 SunnySkyz)

📍South Korea
Scientists Found A Way To Remove Nanoplastics From Water In Just 10 Minutes
Researchers at Pusan National University developed plate-shaped magnetic nanoparticles that remove over 95% of micro- and nanoplastics from water – particles too small for traditional filters to catch. The particles can be recovered and reused, making it practical for water treatment facilities. (Read more 👉 The Korea Herald)

📍New York, USA
A$AP Rocky Just Paid Rent For Everyone In His Childhood Harlem Building
The rapper grew up in the homeless shelter system, where he learned what generosity looks like from a stranger. A substitute teacher – barely making ends meet herself – once paid for young Rocky to see Harry Potter. "People do that?" he remembers thinking. Now he's doing exactly that, covering January rent for every tenant in his grandmother's Harlem building. (Read more 👉 Complex)

📍The Internet
Wikipedia Just Turned 25
A quarter century of rabbit holes, citation needed tags, and the world's largest collaborative knowledge project. Nearly all of Wikipedia's content is written and fact-checked by around 250,000 volunteers worldwide. To celebrate, the Wikimedia Foundation released a docuseries spotlighting eight of them – because even in the age of AI, knowledge is still human. (Read more 👉 Creative Boom & Wikimedia Foundation)

A unique, sometimes quirky, but always eye-catching photo feature each week.

Fay Wadsworth went to Yorkshire Wildlife Park to photograph leopard cubs. But she came home with something better – a new friend.

The 31-year-old photographer from Sheffield, England, was standing by the Amur leopard enclosure last week when she heard a flapping sound. Then, suddenly, a robin landed directly on her camera.

"Initially thinking it must've flown into me and got caught up in my hair, I freed his legs and opened out my hand, expecting him to fly away as quickly as he possibly could," Fay explained.

But the robin had other plans.

"He didn't. He stayed."

What followed was a thoroughly unexpected snuggle session. The tiny bird – clearly feeling the chill of a January day – nestled into Fay's jacket for warmth, perfectly content to treat her as a human hot water bottle.

Fay consulted with park rangers about what to do. Their advice? Stay near the woodland area and let the robin call the shots. So she did – standing patiently while her feathered visitor got comfortable.

Eventually, after soaking up enough warmth, the robin flew off to a nearby tree and started singing.

Fay never did get those leopard cub photos. But honestly? This was better. Not every wildlife encounter can be planned – and the best ones rarely are.

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How To Spot Empathy Fatigue (Before It Spots You)

You don't need to work in healthcare to feel emotionally wiped out from caring. If you're the friend everyone vents to or the colleague who plays peacemaker, you might be running on fumes without realising it.

That's empathy fatigue – and unlike regular burnout, it creeps in from feeling too much, not just doing too much.

Signs you're there: You still care but can't feel it. Small things overwhelm you. You're pulling away from people. Rest doesn't seem to help.

What helps: Set emotional boundaries – "I can't do a deep conversation right now" is valid. Take micro-breaks between heavy moments. Move your body to release what words can't. And limit the doom scroll – mute, unfollow, log off. Caring deeply is a gift. But even gifts need looking after.

— Steve Jobs

Somewhere between 50% and 80% of all life on Earth lives in the ocean – and we've only explored about 5% of it. That means the vast majority of our planet's species are swimming, floating, or lurking in waters we've never even seen. Scientists estimate there could be anywhere from 700,000 to over a million marine species still waiting to be discovered.

1789: The first American novel, William Hill Brown’s The Power of Sympathy is published by Isaiah Thomas

1848: James Marshall finds golf in Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, sparking the states goldrush

1973: In a landmark decision, the US Supreme Court legalizes most abortions (Roe v. Wade)

1908: Robert Baden-Powell publishes “Scouting for Boys” as a manual for self-instruction in outdoor skills. The book becomes the inspiration for the Scout movement

1984: Apple Computer Inc. unveils its revolutionary Macintosh personal computer during a Super Bowl TV ad directed by Ridley Scott

Can you find a word that can suffix (go after) each of these letters:

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

*Studies show that watching heartwarming videos can boost your mood. So sit back and start your weekend positively - doctors orders!

🧠 Brain Teaser Answer

State.