It's officially pumpkin spice latte season, which means only one thing: fall is on its way. Maybe it's all that caffeine-fueled optimism, but we've got some stories that'll warm you right up this Friday afternoon. ☕✨

Let’s jump right in👇

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Happy Headlines 📰

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

🎂 Cancer Survivor Celebrates Birthday by Paying Strangers' Hospital Parking Fees
Instead of cake and presents, this remarkable woman marked another year of life by secretly covering parking fees for families at the hospital where she once fought her own battle. (CBC)

📱 South Korea Bans Smartphones in Schools for Mental Health
Following research showing improved focus and social skills, South Korea joined France, Finland, and China in outlawing smartphones in classrooms – giving kids a chance to actually look at each other again. (BBC)

🏊‍♂️ Hero Lifeguards Sprint Through Woods to Save Drowning Mother and Son
When screams echoed from the forest, three Ohio lifeguards didn't hesitate – they abandoned their pool posts and raced 150 yards through trees to pull a mother and her boy from a surging river's deadly depths. (Good News Network)

🦈 "Extinct" Shark Species Resurfaces After 50 Years
The sailback houndshark, missing since the 1970s, has been spotted again off Papua New Guinea – giving scientists a second chance to save this rare marine species. (Earth.com)

📸 Wildlife Photography Contest Sees Record 60,636 Entries
From penguins marching on ice to lions facing cobras, this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year attracted more submissions than ever – proof that people can't get enough of nature's beauty. (ABC)

🏈 High School Referee Becomes Hero, Saves Fellow Official's Life on Field
When another referee collapsed during a Friday night game, a quick-thinking official stepped up with CPR – resuscitating him not once, but twice. (WBRC)

🌊 This Tropical Bali Resort Asks One Thing: Plant Coral Before You Leave
At the this hotel, your vacation checkout includes something special – guests plant coral fragments to help restore Indonesia's reefs, turning paradise visits into lasting environmental gifts. (Good Good Good)

💊 The End of Opioids? New Drug Could Change How We Treat Severe Pain
Scientists developed a groundbreaking pain medication that works as effectively as morphine but without the addiction risk – potentially revolutionizing how we help people heal. (SciTech Daily)

👮‍♂️ 'We're Supposed to Be Good Men': Officer Buys Stranded Deaf Man Train Ticket Home
When a deaf tourist lost his bags and cash at the station, a police officer didn't just offer directions – he bought the man a train ticket and restored his faith in human kindness. (Local 12)

🌿 Global Green Energy Investment Hits Record $386 Billion
Renewable energy funding surged 10% in the first half of 2025, with Europe leading the charge and Africa seeing solar imports boom across 20 countries. (Energy Live News)

Quick Lift ❤️

A feel good story from Happilynews.com guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

After 35 Years in Storage, Grandpa's 1956 MG Gets the Ultimate Family Makeover

Some love stories aren't about people – they're about the things that carry our memories through the decades. For 81-year-old Navy veteran Duane from Fargo, North Dakota, that love affair was with a stunning red 1956 MG sports car that had been gathering dust since 1990.

Picture this: young Duane, fresh from military service in sunny San Diego, spots the perfect ride for a man in his twenties. That little yellow MG became his pride and joy, even surviving a bold color change to red in the '80s. But North Dakota winters aren't exactly sports car weather, and eventually, frozen cables and wear-and-tear meant "Bobba's little red car" had to be parked for what seemed like forever.

For 35 years, that MG sat in storage while Duane's eyes would light up whenever he told stories about his automotive first love. His family knew how much it meant to him – which is exactly why son-in-law Doug secretly spent years working to bring it back to life.

But this wasn't just about getting an engine running again. Doug, with help from a mechanic who appreciated classic British beauties, wanted to give Duane something magical. So the whole family – daughter Michelle and grandkids Cooper, Kelyn, Remi, and McCall – conspired for the ultimate surprise.

The setup was perfect: granddaughter McCall visited with a tiny toy MG as a "gift," then suddenly the whole family was gathered on the driveway. That's when Doug drove around the corner in the fully restored, gleaming red sports car.

As granddaughter Kelyn captured on video, "His eyes locked on the car, and in that instant, decades of memories came rushing back. You could see it all on his face – the joy, the disbelief, the emotion."

Duane approached his old friend with tears streaming down his face, running his hands along curves he knew by heart. This wasn't just about getting a car back – it was about reclaiming that little piece of his youth, his memories, his story.

👉 Watch the magical reunion video

Smileworthy Snapshots 📸 

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

The One-in-200-Million Blue Lobster Who Escaped the Dinner Plate 🦞

Imagine Brad Myslinski's surprise when he pulled up his lobster trap off Salem, Massachusetts this summer and found what looked like a sapphire swimming inside. The affectionately named Neptune is a stunning electric blue lobster whose incredible coloring occurs in just one out of every 200 million lobsters.

Most American lobsters sport the typical greenish-brown camouflage perfect for blending into rocky ocean floors. But Neptune? He's basically the ocean's version of a unicorn. His brilliant blue hue comes from a genetic quirk where his color pigments either aren't expressed normally or are wildly overexpressed, creating this jaw-dropping cerulean spectacle.

Here's the beautiful part of the story: instead of ending up on someone's dinner plate with a side of butter, Neptune caught the attention of marine biology teacher Dave Winchester, who immediately knew this wasn't just any lobster. Within days, Neptune found himself with a new home at Northeastern University's Marine Science Center in nearby Nahant.

"It took my breath away seeing this bright blue lobster," says Sierra Munoz, the center's outreach coordinator. "I've seen a few lobsters that have a little blue on them, but I've never seen one that's this electric blue."

Check out this video from Northeastern Uni about ol’ Neptune:

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Bright Bits ☀️

Sharing some inspiring musings to keep your brain smiling.

🤗 Happiness Hack
Try the "5-4-3-2-1" grounding technique when you're feeling overwhelmed: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. Instant calm in under a minute.

❝ Some inspiring words...

💡 Fun fact
Your heart beats about 100,000 times per day - that's roughly 35 million beats per year, making it the hardest-working muscle in your body! ❤️
Source: American Heart Association

🧠 Brain teaser
Can you solve the Rainbow Word Ladder?
Change RED to JOY in exactly 4 steps, changing only one letter at a time:
RED → ___ → ___ → ___ → JOY

Hint: Think about what makes you smile.

See end of the newsletter for the answer + last weeks brain teaser reveal.

Before You Go…A Serotonin Booster* 📺

Her owner refused to give up on her 🐶❤️

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

🧠 Brain teaser answers