Happy New Year! We hope 2026 will be prosperous and healthy.

We’re starting the new year with a bang…a $240M bang. That’s because some lucky employees are ringing in the new year much richer, thanks to their boss Graham Walker, who sold his family's business for $1.7 billion, having one non-negotiable condition of sale: 15% goes to the employees who helped build it.

But first, another heartwarming Christmas surprise for one hardworking bakery shop employee courtesy of her kindhearted bosses.

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

Jamie San almost didn't make it to her own surprise.

The single mom of three had spent the last six months borrowing her kids' grandma's car to get to work after hers broke down. On the day of Sweet Dough Bake Shop's holiday party, she called her boss Traci Thompson in tears – the borrowed car had a flat tire.

What Jamie didn't know was that Traci and her husband Ray had spent weeks planning something. A Toyota Highlander was already waiting in the parking lot for her.

The shop's manager drove 30 minutes each way to pick Jamie up. Staff played games, ate dinner together, and then Traci called Jamie and her kids to the front for a gift.

Inside the box was a set of keys.

Jamie has worked at the High Point, North Carolina bakery since it opened five years ago. In that time, she's called out exactly once – because she was in the hospital. She's also beaten cancer, survived a heart attack, and raised three kids on her own. Through all of it, she always showed up.

"She is so reliable," Traci said. "Jamie has beaten so much and just the everyday struggles of being a single mom. No one deserves this car like she does."

As her coworkers cheered, Jamie wiped away tears and stepped outside to see her new ride. The smile on her face, Traci said, was the best Christmas present anyone could have given her.

"The best Christmas gift is what you can do for someone that needs it more than you. There is always someone you can help somewhere somehow."

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

📍Ohio, USA
Quick Thinking Siblings Help Save Their School Bus Driver’s Life
When their bus driver began having a medical emergency, 8-year-old Catrina ran to get her 7th-grade brother Charlie – who grabbed the radio and called the school for help. The driver had taught her riders how to use it, just in case. She's since been discharged from the hospital. (Read more 👉 Good News Network)

📍Arizona, USA
Arizona Wipes Out $642 Million in Medical Debt
Nearly half a million Arizonans are getting letters with very good news: their medical debt has been canceled. The state partnered with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to buy up outstanding bills for pennies on the dollar – and erase them entirely. (Read more 👉 KNAU)

📍Wales, UK
Shingles Vaccine May Cut Dementia Risk by 20%
A study of more than 280,000 adults in Wales found that those who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia compared to those who didn't. Follow-up research suggests it may even have a protective effect for people already diagnosed. (Read more 👉 Human Progress)

📍Louisiana, USA
Boss Sells Company, Gives Employees $240 Million
When Graham Walker sold his family's manufacturing company Fibrebond for $1.7 billion, he made sure 15% of the sale – about $240 million – went to his 540 employees. Each worker will receive an average of $443,000 over five years. "It was not just a gift," Walker said. "They earned it." (Read more 👉 People)

📍Colorado, USA
Anonymous Donor Covers Emergency Vet Bills on Christmas
A man walked into a Colorado animal hospital on Christmas Day and told staff he'd pay the emergency exam fee – nearly $200 – for anyone who came through the doors. He covered at least 10 families, left extra envelopes for later arrivals, and donated $400 to the hospital's charity fund before leaving. (Read more 👉 SunnySkyz)

📍Italy
A Child Is Born: Italian Village Celebrates First Baby in 30 Years
Pagliara dei Marsi – population 20 (cats included) – just welcomed its first newborn in nearly three decades. Baby Lara has become the village's main attraction. "People who didn't even know we existed have come just because they heard about Lara," her mother said. "At nine months old, she's already famous." (Read more 👉 The Guardian)

📍Florida, USA
Restaurant Staff Cancels Christmas Party to Use Budget to Help Cook Adopt
Coworkers at a Naples First Watch learned their beloved cook Norman and his wife had been struggling to have a child and were pursuing adoption. So they voted to skip the Christmas party – and give him the entire budget instead. A GoFundMe has since raised over $3,000 more. (Read more 👉 SunnySkyz)

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Beat the Post-Holiday Slump Like a Nordic Pro

The tinsel's down, the champagne's flat, and Blue Monday (supposedly the "most depressing day of the year") is just around the corner. If you're feeling the post-holiday dip, take a page from people who survive months of near-total darkness every winter: the Nordics.

Their secret? Light – and lots of it. Experts recommend 30 minutes of morning light therapy using a 10,000-lux lamp to reset your circadian rhythm and boost serotonin. A dawn simulator alarm clock can also help you wake up feeling human again.

But it's not just about fancy gadgets. Norwegians prioritize koselig (their version of hygge) – cozy blankets, warm drinks, candlelit evenings. Swedes take daily fika coffee breaks, even in the cold. And Finns? They ice plunge, sauna, repeat.

The mindset matters too. "It's not like it's a seasonal fate and you cannot do anything about it," says one Swedish researcher. "There are possibilities to affect it."

― Brad Paisley

The Universe's average colour is called 'Cosmic latte'. In a 2002 study, astronomers found that the light coming from galaxies averaged into a beige colour that’s close to white.

1861: A world record 22,990 mm of rain falls in a single year in Cherrapunji, Assam, India

1865: New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad St, near Wall Street in New York City

1947: Mahatma Gandhi begins a march for peace in East Bengal

1961: Longest recorded strike ends as the Danish barbers' assistants end a 33 year strike

1977: Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporate Apple Computer, Inc.

1987: Aretha Franklin is the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

1994: Largest free concert in the world occurs when Rod Stewart performs in front of an estimated 3.5 million people at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Start in the bottom left corner and move either up or right, one square at a time, adding up the numbers. What is the largest total you can make?

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

A:

The largest total that can be made is 38.