heartwarming

The internet loves toxicity and drama. Accidentally stumbling upon some of the angrier corners of Twitter or Facebook could lead one to believe that boomers are waging waragainst millennials. In reality, the world is full of empathetic people of all ages and backgrounds. Most people wouldn't say 99% of the mean crap they say online to actual, IRL human beings.

We've put together a bunch of wholesome boomer content to remind ourselves that the world ain't so bad sometimes and in fact, life is full of funny and heartwarming little moments like these. 

Not all heroes wear capes. Some of them wear aprons!

Turkish chef and well-known YouTuber Burak Özdemir took to the streets to feed a whole town for Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha. Known to YouTube as CZN Burak, the smiley chef has made a habit of giving to others through his delicious food. Last year for Muharram, Burak cooked a beautiful and nutritious feast for his community. Doesn't get any more wholesome than that. Sure, his videos get a lot of likes, but we'd rather not look at these viral videos through a cynical lens. Some people are just plain kind.

Finally, some good effing news. Yesterday Matthew Battista posted a video of his wife Elissa reuniting with Fisher the Boston Terrier, who had gone missing nearly 300 days ago in Ocean City, MD. Elissa had set up a facebook group months ago called Find Fisher, which gained almost 9,000 good samaritans, many of whom aided Elissa in the search for Fisher. Try not to cry while watching the video of Fisher and Elissa seeing each other for the first time in several months. Faith in humanity: Restored. 

It seems like animals always have the power to make us feel all better. No matter what you're sad about, a cute puppy or a little baby tiger will probably put a little smile on your face.

Warning: these memes are so heartwarming they might make you shed a tear. Or ten.

Y'all ready for a little holiday season tearjerker? While this wasn't the best hormonal read in the world, it's definitely nice to read something heartwarming in the midst of life's craziness. This feels-inducing Twitter thread comes to us courtesy of writer and historian @garius. His tale of a grieving widow's connection to the tube announcements has gone viral - and with good reason. It's a refreshing and emotional reminder that people really do care for one another. You're going to need tissues.

Sometimes life sucks. Royally. Writer Sheila O'Malley knows this first hand. After the death of her father, she found herself unable to unpack her new apartment and cried for days on end. This is all okay. This is all understandable. When a person is shrouded with this kind of darkness, it can be very hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

That's where her friends come in. 

Sick and tired of seeing incels and reply guys everywhere you look on the internet? We suggest you take a look at this palate cleanser. It's filled with wholesome moments of bros setting good examples and putting positive energy into the world. If you like what you see, you can check out our other gallery of decidedly non-toxic masculinity. There's still work to be done but let's give these dudes a little positive reinforcement.

With much of the world feeling alienated right now, it's nice to read happy and wholesome stories of how people are managing to connect with one another despite the isolating effects of the pandemic. Twitter user Hugh Weber took to the site with a heartwarming tale about his eleven year old daughter, Emerson. The girl has a love for writing beautiful letters, and after thanking her local mailman for his duties with a decorated message, she attracted the attention of his supervisor, Sara. The supervisor shared Emerson's story with USPS workers all over the country, and now Emerson has a few hundred pen pals. The story is a an inspiring reminder of how important it is to maintain connections with our fellow humans - now, more than ever. It's also a reminder that analog methods of communication can mean a hell of a lot more than a text, if you're able to write out a real letter. 

Let's not think about all of the horrible things going on in the world right now. Instead, let's refocus our energy on some positive things, like the following memes that will remind you that there is, in fact, a lot of good happening in the world. And since we know you could use even more heartwarming content, we have you covered!

Five years ago a Boston missed connection went viral. Not because it was funny. Not because of anyone famous. But because it was a beautifully written and gut-wrenching story of immense sadness, redemption, and magic. A Boston man penned the Craigslist advertisement in 2015, titling its lengthy contents "I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972." The flair for the poetic doesn't end there.

What follows is a redemption arc that we thought only occurred in movies and romance novels. A chance meeting that left a suicidal veteran with hope for the first time in a long time. It's a touching read, and we highly recommend you start it prepared: armed with tissues, waterproof mascara, and a whole lot of love for all the people around you. 

Stroke expert Liam Healy tweeted out a story about an Irish stroke patient who made a miraculous recovery when the odds of her survival were incredibly low. Needless to say, the story gave us some hope in a world full of constant bad news. Is it time for us to finally start believing in miracles?

As 2019 comes to a close we find ourselves dwelling on the things that went wrong, and the ways we let ourselves and others down. Being self aware is definitely important, but it's also imperative that we not beat ourselves up. It's important to look back on all the good things that happened this year, whether they benefited us, the world, or just another person in need. These memes, tweets, and posts are all great reminders that the year wasn't a wash. 

There are those times when you feel so frustrated talking to someone that you just want to lash out and not give them any more of your time. This story, however, demonstrates that sometimes kindness and patience is the only way to convince them of your point of view. 

For this mother of a transgender child, it's clear that all she needed was to be put in her child's shoes. Now, who's cutting onions in here?

These memes will make anyone who's in a relationship feel real warm and fuzzy inside, and they might also make single people gag. Either way, we hope you can get some amount of entertainment out of them. Share 'em with your significant other or a fellow bitter single person - whatever, we don't care! Also, here are more relationship memes for you.

If you're currently struggling, or have ever struggled with a mental illness, then we just want to say that we're proud of you and we encourage you to keep going, because no matter how bad you're feeling, it does get better. And of course, always reach out to professional help if you need!

If you can't stand to feel all the feels today, then you should stop reading now. This greentext story may be longer than most, but the payoff is real, and it's really freaking wholesome. Our "hero" ends up warming our hearts with a story of how he went from being an orphaned ten-year-old, to nerdy loner, to happy husband in the span of a little more than a decade. With all the bad news in the world, this tale sure does feel like a palate cleanser. If you find yourself needing more wholesome greentext after this heartwarming story, we've got 'em right here.