15 heartwarming stories from 2016 that made me cry big happy tears.
It wasn't all bad.
As far as years go, 2016 could use some good PR.
It seemed like we lost every celebrity we'd ever loved. We slogged through a divisive and bitter campaign season. And just when cellphones seemed like our only solace in the madness, they started literally exploding in our hands.
Needless to say, people are ready to throw in the towel on this one.
GIF from "Saturday Night Live."
But some really good stuff happened in 2016, too.
Lots of people worked to make the world a kinder, safer, and happier place this year. They helped lend a hand, spread joy, and support people in need. And hearing about these people gives me hope that we're all gonna be OK.
Volunteers serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal during the Safeway Feast of Sharing event in Washington, D.C..Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.
Today, I want to highlight and remember the stories of these people. I want to give 2016 the positive press it needs before its relegated to the dustbin of history.
Here are 15 stories about 2016's bright spots. With helpers like this, it's clear we're headed in the right direction.
1. J.K. Rowling found out her books helped save this baby's life and did the most J.K. Rowling thing ever.
After Kelley Benham French's daughter Juniper was born prematurely, she and her husband started reading the Harry Potter series to Juniper in the hospital. The books (and top-notch medical care) helped the baby get through her time in the NICU. And when J.K. Rowling heard about young Juniper five years later, she kept the good going.
Juniper in the NICU. Photo by Cherie Diez. Photo used with Kelley Benham French's permission.
2. This school replaced detention with meditation, and it completely turned things around.
Robert W. Coleman Elementary School had zero suspensions last school year and they're on track to do it again. Way to go, kids (and forward-thinking teachers)!
Photo from Holistic Life Foundation, used with permission.
3. Politicians took a break from arguing to unite against racism.
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton disagreed on a few things, but they were a united front against bigotry, at least on social media. And it was a pretty great day.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
4. Even after the election, complete strangers rallied together to support one another.
They offered positive messages of encouragement ... in a subway tunnel no less! Classic, 2016!
Photos by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
5. This amazing mom took care of people's babies while they made huge parenting decisions.
Interim parents like Ann Lapin provide a vital service for new parents and these sweet babies.
Photo of Ann Lapin by Stacey Natal/Total City Girl, used with permission.
6. This man studied photography while in prison, and his photos showed a side of humanity we don't often see.
Since his release in 2011, Donato Di Camillo has captured portraits of people who are mentally ill and homeless and larger than life characters he meets while exploring New York. "These people walk around, and they're faceless," he said. "I feel that everybody deserves a face."
Image by Donato Di Camillo, used with permission.
7. Michelle Obama wore a gorgeous gown that had an equally remarkable story.
The stunning rose gold gown by Donatella Versace was a symbol of female strength and empowerment.
Photo by Shawn Thew/Getty Images.
8. When this woman's wife came out as transgender at her office, she was nervous. But her colleagues surprised her with a party.
There were cupcakes, hugs, and lots of happy tears. That's the positive power of 2016.
Photo of Zoe on her first day back to work after coming out, taken by Amanda Jette, used with permission.
9. Remember when everyone's imaginary life partner Leonardo DiCaprio took home his first Oscar and used his speech to fight back against climate change?
Not only did he finally take home the statuette, he reminded us why we fell in love with his work and activism in the first place.
10. Even when terrible things happened, good people stood up and said, "Not today, 2016," like this woman in a local restaurant.
She overheard a table full of homophobes and decided to kill 'em with kindness.
Photo courtesy of Natalie Woods, used with permission.
11. Two awesome tweens kicked butt in their Halloween costumes and taught us all an important lesson.
It's hard to hate on a year that gave us the Juslims, the Jewish and Muslim superhero team created by these amazing girls.
Photo courtesy of Catherine Pearlman, used with permission.
12. Stephen Colbert and Killer Mike got real about race relations.
Sometimes, representing your entire race actually works. (But just this once.)
Image from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube.
13. Yes, there were natural disasters, but in the wake of devastation, people were there for each other.
When a massive wildfire broke out in Canada, people like Les Wiley stopped what they were doing to lend a hand.
Les Wiley hands out bottles of water to people fleeing their homes threatened by forest fires. Photo by Cole Burston/AFP/Getty Images.
14. Even on the world stage, kindness and courage were never outpaced by the thrill of victory.
When Olympic athletes Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand and Abbey D’Agostino of the U.S. collided on the track, they helped each other up and finished together.
Photos by Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters (left) and Lucy Nicholson/Reuters.
15. People dug in and fought for what they believed in this year, like the water protectors at Standing Rock and the thousands of allies supporting them.
2016 wasn't perfect. But there's no such thing as a perfect year.
There will be tear-jerking triumphs and bitter defeats every year. We'll lose leaders and loved ones every year. We'll celebrate new babies and make lasting friendships every year. That's because life continues in a wobbly, perfectly imperfect circle.
As this year ends, I hope you can keep an eye on the good things too. It won't make the bad things go away or change them. But it will help us remember something important: Many people are good. Many people will stand up for what's right. And when we fall down, many of us help each other up. No flip of the calendar can change that.
Volunteers load donated flats of water to be taken to a camp just outside of Wandering River, Canada, in the wake of a devastating wildfire. Photo by Cole Burston/AFP/Getty Images.
A Generation Jones teenager poses in her room.Image via Wikmedia Commons
An office kitchen.via 
An angry man eating spaghetti.via 
Gif of baby being baptized
Woman gives toddler a bath Canva
An Irish woman went to the doctor for a routine eye exam. She left with bright neon green eyes.
It's not easy seeing green.
Did she get superpowers?
Going to the eye doctor can be a hassle and a pain. It's not just the routine issues and inconveniences that come along when making a doctor appointment, but sometimes the various devices being used to check your eyes' health feel invasive and uncomfortable. But at least at the end of the appointment, most of us don't look like we're turning into The Incredible Hulk. That wasn't the case for one Irish woman.
Photographer Margerita B. Wargola was just going in for a routine eye exam at the hospital but ended up leaving with her eyes a shocking, bright neon green.
At the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner was prepping Wargola for a test with a machine that Wargola had experienced before. Before the test started, Wargola presumed the nurse had dropped some saline into her eyes, as they were feeling dry. After she blinked, everything went yellow.
Wargola and the nurse initially panicked. Neither knew what was going on as Wargola suddenly had yellow vision and radioactive-looking green eyes. After the initial shock, both realized the issue: the nurse forgot to ask Wargola to remove her contact lenses before putting contrast drops in her eyes for the exam. Wargola and the nurse quickly removed the lenses from her eyes and washed them thoroughly with saline. Fortunately, Wargola's eyes were unharmed. Unfortunately, her contacts were permanently stained and she didn't bring a spare pair.
- YouTube youtube.com
Since she has poor vision, Wargola was forced to drive herself home after the eye exam wearing the neon-green contact lenses that make her look like a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She couldn't help but laugh at her predicament and recorded a video explaining it all on social media. Since then, her video has sparked a couple Reddit threads and collected a bunch of comments on Instagram:
“But the REAL question is: do you now have X-Ray vision?”
“You can just say you're a superhero.”
“I would make a few stops on the way home just to freak some people out!”
“I would have lived it up! Grab a coffee, do grocery shopping, walk around a shopping center.”
“This one would pair well with that girl who ate something with turmeric with her invisalign on and walked around Paris smiling at people with seemingly BRIGHT YELLOW TEETH.”
“I would save those for fancy special occasions! WOW!”
“Every time I'd stop I'd turn slowly and stare at the person in the car next to me.”
“Keep them. Tell people what to do. They’ll do your bidding.”
In a follow-up Instagram video, Wargola showed her followers that she was safe at home with normal eyes, showing that the damaged contact lenses were so stained that they turned the saline solution in her contacts case into a bright Gatorade yellow. She wasn't mad at the nurse and, in fact, plans on keeping the lenses to wear on St. Patrick's Day or some other special occasion.
While no harm was done and a good laugh was had, it's still best for doctors, nurses, and patients alike to double-check and ask or tell if contact lenses are being worn before each eye test. If not, there might be more than ultra-green eyes to worry about.