Burton and Edna Knight started as just two kids in love. Seventy-one years later, they needed 61 people to fit in the frame. This week, we're celebrating a love story that turned into a village, plus eye implants that restore reading, Taylor Swift's $100K gift to a toddler battling cancer, and a high school that swapped detention for hiking. Let's find some reasons to smile.

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Quick Lifts ❤️

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

Love Creates a Village: 71-Year Marriage Gathers 61-Person Family for One Epic Photo

It takes less than a minute to watch the video. But it took 71 years to make it.

Burton Knight, 90, and Edna Knight, 91, were just two kids in love in Upton, Kentucky. They had no idea that seven decades later, their love story would become a village – and a viral video.

The couple has been married for 71 years. Together, they've built something that can't fit in a single photo without a very wide lens: four daughters, 13 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and all their spouses. That's 61 people. Sixty-one living, breathing testaments to what happens when two people choose each other, day after day, year after year.

Their granddaughter Taylor Vance, 21, wanted to capture the sheer magnitude of this love when the entire family gathered over Labor Day weekend. So she and her cousin Alycia dreamed up something special.

The resulting video starts simple. Burton and Edna sit together on a garden bench, the same way they've probably sat together thousands of times before. Then their four daughters join them. Then their sons-in-law. Then the grandchildren start filing in, waving their partners along. And finally, like a joyful avalanche, the great-grandchildren flood the frame.

It took a few takes to get it right, but when they did, something magical happened. The video went viral, racking up more than 2.5 million views on Taylor’s original. Check out it out below.

"Many tears were shed following the video, going back and watching, just seeing all of us together," Taylor said. "Everyone was laughing and happy – we are truly blessed to have all stayed so close and become not just family but best friends."

The comments poured in from strangers. And in a world that often feels fractured, watching 61 people gather around two people who've loved each other for 71 years does hit different.

Burton – affectionately called Papaw by his grandkids – was also overwhelmed by the response. Taylor said he "cried tears of joy finding out the impact it had on people.”

And she added that there’s no real secret to their love: "The respect and love we have for each other is how we make it work," Taylor explained. It's choosing kindness. It's showing up. It's turning family gatherings into traditions instead of obligations.”

For Taylor, the video's viral success means something deeper than internet fame. She hopes it reminds people that one love story can ripple outward in ways you can't imagine when you're young and just starting out.

"I hope others take hope and inspiration from this," she said, "that there is still good in the world and that you can be the start of something so big and magical."

Happy Headlines 📰

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

💜 Taylor Swift Donates $100K to Toddler Battling Rare Brain Cancer

If we weren’t Swifties already, then the news this week sure had us converted. That’s because, when 18-month-old Lilah's mom posted a TikTok showing her daughter calling Taylor Swift her "friend," the superstar responded by donating $100,000 to help cover medical bills. Lilah is battling one of only 58 documented cases of an exceptionally rare brain cancer, which was diagnosed last year. Swift's contribution means the family can focus entirely on the toddler's recovery. (Happily)

👁️ Life-Changing Eye Implant Helps Blind Patients Read Again

A group of blind patients can now read again after being fitted with a microchip implant at the back of the eye - giving hope to others. Sheila Irvine, 70, who lost her central vision three decades ago, is back to doing crosswords and Sudoku thanks to the hair-thin device that works with camera-equipped glasses. When tested on an eye chart, she didn't make a single mistake – then punched the air in celebration! Of 32 patients given the implant, 27 were able to read again. (BBC)

🐢 Green Sea Turtles Removed From Endangered Species List

In a major conservation win, and after decades of hard work, green sea turtles have officially graduated from "endangered" to "least concern" on the IUCN Red List. The species' population has bounced back roughly 28% compared to 1970s levels, thanks to efforts protecting nesting mothers, reducing illegal harvest, and preventing accidental capture in fishing gear. The win proves sustained conservation action works. (Earth.org)

🔥 Mom Saves 22 Kids From Burning School Bus

Kari Thorp was greeting her daughter after school in East Bethel, Minnesota when she saw flames rising from beneath the school bus. Without hesitation, she ran toward the vehicle to warn the driver, and together they evacuated all 22 students before the fire engulfed the entire bus. Every single child made it out unharmed. (Watch the video here via CBS Minnesota)

🥾 High School Offers Hiking Instead of Detention – And It's Working

When Morse High School offered students the choice between sitting in detention or hiking three miles through nearby trails, most weren't thrilled. But after walking through forests, stopping for snacks by a creek, and listening to poetry, something shifted. Students returned relaxed and in better moods – and some now volunteer to join even when they're not in trouble. (Washington Post)

🚗 Volleyball Team Surprises Beloved Janitor With Brand-New Car

Abel Rodriguez kept spirits up at Rockwall High School in Texas, showing up to every volleyball game to high-five players in between his duties as janitor. So when the team discovered he didn't have a car, and how much of a pain that was for him, they raised over $9,000 to buy him one (including paying for the insurance). When over 100 students led him outside to see his brand-new car, Rodriguez broke down in tears at the gesture. (Happily)

Smileworthy Snapshots 📸 

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

When Wildlife Gets the Giggles: This Year's Funniest Animal Photos Are Here

Nature documentaries would have you believe the animal kingdom is all drama and survival. The 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards beg to differ. With nearly 10,000 entries from photographers in 108 countries, this year's 40 finalists capture lemurs mid-yoga pose, squirrels in surrender mode, and one very unfortunate duck who just can't catch a break.

The shortlist includes a shy elephant, a squirrel mid-jump in full "surrender mode," and a bird rocking what can only be described as a Beatles hairdo. There's also a duck dealing with a hitchhiking bird on its back, titled "It's tough being a duck," and three lions belting out what looks like a harmonious choir rehearsal.

But behind the laughs lies a serious mission. Co-founded in 2015 by photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, the awards exist to promote wildlife and habitat conservation through humor. The competition partners with the Whitley Fund for Nature, which has channeled $32 million to conservationists in 80 countries over three decades.

"These inspiring and funny photos and videos do just that," Sullam says. "It's a privilege to be part of this exciting journey, making us all laugh and we can't wait to announce the winners in December."

Check out some of the entries below.

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Bright Bits ☀️

A fun fact, a happiness hack, an inspiring quote, and a quick brain teaser—your feel-good four-pack.

🤗 Happiness Hack

Catch Happiness From a Friend Who Lives Nearby. Harvard research found that having a happy friend who lives within a mile of you increases the probability that you'll be happy too – the effect spreads between neighbors, siblings, and spouses like a ripple. Want to boost your mood? Spend time with happy people who live close by. (Source: Harvard)

❝Some Inspiring Words❞

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

— Nelson Mandela

💡Fun Fact

The "Bug" in Computer Science Came From an Actual Bug. The term "bug" to describe a computer glitch dates back to Thomas Edison in the 1800s, but it gained popularity in 1947 when Harvard's Mark II computer kept malfunctioning. The culprit? An actual moth stuck inside the hardware.

(Source: Computer History)

🧠 Brain Teaser

Can you find the country hidden in the following paragraph? 👇

Welsh horses are my favourite animal. Tapir, llama, marmoset, and elephant closely follow. I don't care much for English rabbits nor ocelots, adders, goldfish, and spaniels.

See bottom of the newsletter for the answer!

Before You Go…A Serotonin Booster* 📺

Aged 17 She Heard Her Mom's Voice For The First Time

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

🧠 Brain Teaser Answer

Malta.

Welsh horses are my favourite aniMAL. TApir, llama, marmoset, and elephant closely follow. I don't care much for English rabbits nor ocelots, adders, goldfish, and spaniels.