+
“A balm for the soul”
  review on Goodreads
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy

sweet

Joy

Video of two 90-year-old sisters saying goodbye shoots straight to the heart

“If we don’t see each other again on this earth, we’ll see each other in heaven."

@stephanieatkinson/TikTok

Don't say goodbye.

A video making the rounds online is reminding us all that love transcends all time and distance.

94-year-old Barbara Carolan of Seabrook, Massachusetts, hadn’t been able to see her 90-year-old sister Shirley, who lives in Nevada, since 2020.

When it became clear to Barbara that she might not have much time left to spend with her beloved sister, she prepared to make the 2,700-mile cross country trip to say goodbye.

“They waited so long to see each other, and if you don’t know if you’re going to see someone again, you know, especially siblings, it must be really hard,” Barbara’s granddaughter, Stephanie Atkinson Shively, told told her local news outlet WMUR.

Shively volunteered to ride alongside her grandmother and document the trip. In a TikTok video, which has been seen over 13 million times, we see Barbara and Shirley getting emotional while reminiscing.

“We had a wonderful, wonderful time,” Barbara tells Shirley through tears.

“If we don’t see each other [again] on this earth, we’ll see each other in heaven,” her little sister assured.

“You betcha!” Barbara sobs. “You betcha.”

Watch the video below, aptly captioned: “Hug your sister.”
@stephanieatkinson #goodbye #sistersforever #notgoodbye ♬ original sound - Stephanie Atkinson Shively

Needless to say, viewers were struck by the sweet moment.

“There needs to be a category on this app for videos that are guaranteed to make you cry cuz dammit I’m tired of randomly balling my eyes out!” one person wrote.

Another added, “It’s not good bye, it’s see you later. I imagine when we pass, it’ll be like going home. And never again will we have to be separated from the ones we love.”

Shively shared several other moments from the journeys, including some pictures of the sisters when they were younger. But the ‘last tearjerker’ showed grandma Barbara waving goodbye as she made her way back home.

There’s a bit of comic relief in this one, as Barbara yells “until we meet again!” and gets “WHAT?!” from Shirley, having to repeat herself a few times.

Watch:

@stephanieatkinson #sistersforever #notgoodbye #sisterlylove ♬ original sound - Stephanie Atkinson Shively

All in all, just a beautiful, heartwarming reminder to savor our lives, and all the loved ones in it.

Now go hug someone.


This article originally appeared on 9.16.23

Everyone loves a good love story. And when we witness an example of love that endures through everything—even death—it hits us right in our deepest human feely spots.

Ken is a 94-year-old resident of Thistleton Lodge, a retirement and assisted-living facility in Lancashire, England. When a caregiver noticed that he slept with a photograph of Kia, his late wife of 75 years who had also lived in the facility, she decided to surprise him with a gift—a pillow with Kia's face on it.


Having something soft to embrace with his wife's image on it brought Ken to tears—along with everyone else.

The video has gone viral, being shared across multiple media outlets. And when you watch, it's not hard to see why. This is sheer humanity right here. True love that lasts a lifetime is a beautiful thing, and to see it in its purest form is truly a sight to behold. Pass the tissues, please.


Hey, you know what's awesome?

Cute animals. People doing nice things for each other. Scientific breakthroughs. And hilarious nonsense that has no real value except to make us laugh.

We need stories like these, now more than ever.


So without further ado, here are 13 pretty great things that will totally brighten your day.

1. The announcement that New York City will start honoring their students' chosen pronouns.

Birth certificates will no longer be the be-all and end-all in the Big Apple.

2. This video of Bill Nye putting a hurtin' on Tucker Carlson during a "debate" over climate change.

It's incredibly entertaining to watch two opponents spar over an issue when one doesn't realize he's completely overmatched.

TL;DR: Climate change is real, y'all.

3. This person who turned every character in a video game into Bob Ross.

Excellent use of coding skills, if you ask me.

4. The U-Haul franchises in the Midwest that are coming together to help tornado victims.

Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images.

Earlier this week, tornadoes caused massive damage throughout Arkansas, Iowa, and other nearby areas. Now a handful of U-Haul companies in the region are offering affected families free storage for what's left of their belongings while they try to piece their lives back together.

5. This "Viking funeral" for a pair of goldfish in Scotland.

Goldfish may be tiny, but the love these elementary school kids had for their pets was anything but. The Viking-inspired send-off was glorious and heartwarming.

6. This person's new ... pet — whatever it may be.

Whatever it is, it's actually pretty cute.

Image via guacamoles/Imgur.

7. This high school cross-country team that takes cooped-up shelter dogs running with them.

This morning me and the St. Joseph High School Cross Country Team conducted our workout at the County Animal Shelter in Santa Maria. With the help of Stacy Silva we successfully completed the first ever team Dog Run! Each team member was assigned a dog and we went out for a couple miles around the shelter. I am not sure who was more excited and having the most fun...the dogs or the kids. Either way, it was a great time and I am sure we will do it again sometime soon. Thanks Stacy Silva and Geoff Clinton

Posted by Luis Escobar on Thursday, August 4, 2016

Stacy Silva, the volunteer coordinator for the Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter, just so happens to be married to Luis Escobar, the cross-country coach at the local high school, which is how she came up with the idea.

"I am not sure who was more excited and having the most fun ... the dogs or the kids," Escobar wrote on Facebook.

8. These rescued pigs who are overjoyed be outside.

9. These soccer players who are using their jerseys to inspire young girls.

Instead of their names, the Sweden women's team's jerseys will say things like, "Believe in your damn self," and "I'm not bossy, I'm the boss."

They hope to inspire young women with the messages.

10. This super clever ping-pong shot.

11. These people who found their missing cat after three long years.

The cat was found only five miles from the family's home in Scotland. Now if only it could tell us what it was doing all that time and if it knows where the Loch Ness monster is.

12. These shoes that will order a pizza to your exact location with the push of a button.

They're not actually available to the public yet, but we can dream.

Photo by Pizza Hut.

Practical and stylish!

13. And this Texas sportscaster's incredible, impassioned speech in support of the transgender boy who recently won a girls' wrestling championship.

"He’s a child, simply looking for his place in the world and a chance to compete in the world," said Dale Hansen.

"I don't understand his world...but I do understand he is a part of mine."HANSEN UNPLUGGED: https://on.wfaa.com/2lODg8p

Posted by WFAA-TV on Monday, February 27, 2017

Good news is all around us. You might have to look a little harder for it these days, but I promise you, it's worth it!