The Optimist: He found a 2.2-carat diamond in an Arkansas park. Then he proposed to his girlfriend.

A man with Alzheimer's forgot he was married to his wife. He proposed, and they wed again: 'There wasn't a dry eye.'; A 16-year-old named Taya was drafted in the Ontario Hockey League, and she can make 'little girls dream'; These U.S. Agriculture Department paintings of fruits and nuts are actually stunning; Allyson Felix, so used to coming in first, delivers a second-place finish for the ages; The pandemic brought out something positive for some people — resilience; Navajo Nation celebrates its first official Pride parade after a devastating year ; Carl Nassib becomes first active NFL player to come out as gay; Why bother organizing your books? A messy personal library is proof of life.; Racism kept a Black WWII vet from a Purple Heart, he says. At 99, he got the award. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Stories that inspire.     (Arkansas State Parks) He found a 2.2-carat diamond in an Arkansas park. Then he proposed to his girlfriend. Christian Liden said he suddenly spotted something reflecting light in the gravel: a shiny pebble that was a bit larger than a pea. It was a diamond. By Cathy Free ●  Read more »   A man with Alzheimer's forgot he was married to his wife. He proposed, and they wed again: 'There wasn't a dry eye.' "I was over the moon," Lisa Marshall said about her wedding. "I hadn't seen Peter that happy in a long time." By Cathy Free ●  Read more »   A 16-year-old named Taya was drafted in the Ontario Hockey League, and she can make 'little girls dream' "It's just awesome," Currie told OHL TV after being drafted. "I can be a role model for so many young girls to follow their dreams." By Samantha Pell ●  Read more »   These U.S. Agriculture Department paintings of fruits and nuts are actually stunning A new book of watercolors turns the science of pomology into art. Trust us. Perspective ●  By Sebastian Smee ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Allyson Felix, so used to coming in first, delivers a second-place finish for the ages The nine-time Olympic medalist, 35, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a dramatic finishing kick. By Adam Kilgore ●  Read more »   The pandemic brought out something positive for some people — resilience The toll of the past year led to greater hardships and mental health issues for many. But research indicates others emerged stronger and more successful. Here's why. By Emily E. Smith ●  Read more »   Navajo Nation celebrates its first official Pride parade after a devastating year "We're here, we survived and we're going to be okay." The Lily ●  By Cecilia Nowell ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Carl Nassib becomes first active NFL player to come out as gay Nassib, a 28-year-old defensive lineman for the Las Vegas Raiders, said he hopes the "coming-out process" is no longer necessary in the future and he will donate $100,000 to the Trevor Project. By Nicki Jhabvala ●  Read more »   Why bother organizing your books? A messy personal library is proof of life. As the French writer Georges Perec wisely put it, book arrangements are "hardly any more effective than the original anarchy." Perspective ●  By Mark Athitakis ●  Read more »   Racism kept a Black WWII vet from a Purple Heart, he says. At 99, he got the award. For more than three-quarters of a century, Osceola "Ozzie" Fletcher was not formally recognized for being wounded in action in World War II. By Timothy Bella ●  Read more »     We think you'll like this newsletter Check out A Better Week for A 7-day email course that will help you conquer your calendar, get more done and find time for the things you care about. Sign up »

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