The Optimist: A man’s dog was stolen. He found the thief, and instead of calling police, he got her into rehab.

Creativity may be key to healthy aging. Here are ways to stay inspired.; He told people how he once anonymously helped a foster child. Hundreds responded by granting other foster kids' wishes.; Bailey Davis hopes to inspire more girls who look like her to take up golf; Five ways parents eased up during the pandemic, and how it helped everyone; Everything was going wrong in his life. Then he won D.C.'s vaccine lottery.; Here's how to salvage summer vacation, according to travel experts; Inside the mind, life and friendships that created 'Harriet the Spy'; Spelling bee champ Zaila Avant-garde was inspired by a Black girl named MacNolia Cox. This is why.; Betsy Ross's husband's diary turned up in a garage. Here's what it tells us about the flagmaker. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Stories that inspire.     (Kyle Sanguin) A man's dog was stolen. He found the thief, and instead of calling police, he got her into rehab. Face-to-face with the woman who stole his dog, Brayden Morton told her: "Listen, I've messed up a lot in my life, and I've been forgiven for a lot of things I did. I'm not mad at you." By Sydney Page ●  Read more »   Creativity may be key to healthy aging. Here are ways to stay inspired. Experts and older individuals offer tips for staying creative as you age, including traveling and meditating. By Matt Fuchs ●  Read more »   He told people how he once anonymously helped a foster child. Hundreds responded by granting other foster kids' wishes. This website crashed when hundreds donated to kids in foster care after a Reddit post. By Cathy Free ●  Read more »   Bailey Davis hopes to inspire more girls who look like her to take up golf "I want girls to be able to look at me and say: 'Hey, she kind of looks like me, you know? Maybe I can do it as well.' " By Gene Wang ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Five ways parents eased up during the pandemic, and how it helped everyone I wasn't alone in finding the payoff in easing up and giving my kid the space to express herself. Here's how others did it. By Christine Koh ●  Read more »   Everything was going wrong in his life. Then he won D.C.'s vaccine lottery. He lost his job, his home and his van during the pandemic. He says the free Metro fare that he won when he got vaccinated will help him get back on his feet. By Julie Zauzmer ●  Read more »   Here's how to salvage summer vacation, according to travel experts Travelers are trying to cram in a last trip or two before the return of school and office life. By Hannah Sampson ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Inside the mind, life and friendships that created 'Harriet the Spy' A new biography reveals the fascinating life of Louise Fitzhugh, and her creation of an immortal literary figure. Review ●  By Carlos Lozada ●  Read more »   Spelling bee champ Zaila Avant-garde was inspired by a Black girl named MacNolia Cox. This is why. Zaila Avant-garde, the bee's first African American champion, said she thought about the 1936 trailblazer as she spelled her way to victory Thursday night. By April White ●  Read more »   Betsy Ross's husband's diary turned up in a garage. Here's what it tells us about the flagmaker. A direct descendant of Ross discovered the 240-year-old journal in her mother's garage. Historians called it a valuable find. By Natalie Pompilio ●  Read more »     We think you'll like this newsletter Check out About US for candid conversations about identity in America — from racial injustices to political movements — in your inbox Tuesdays and Fridays. Sign up »

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