Happy end of July! This week, I think we need a bit of a break from the news, so I’m sharing some of my favorite stories from Inspired Life that made me happy. Plus we’ve got our weekly “joy” snack. But before that…
This week’s must-reads:
- Why does covid rise in the summer? Your questions, answered.
- Virtual-reality players are suffering real broken bones, other injuries
- Refrigerating produce in jars looks great, but it can breed bacteria
- Social anxiety can be limiting. There are ways to get relief.
- Are you a workaholic — or a hard worker? Why it matters for your health.
They wanted to foster a child. Overnight, they got 3.
When I saw this story trending on social media, I could not get enough. So I was thrilled when my colleagues on the Inspired Life desk wrote more about it.
The story focuses on a couple in Cleveland, Tenn. — PJ and Thomas McKay — who always wanted to become parents. After training to become foster parents, they were stunned when asked to care for three siblings aged 4, 2½ and 18 months. The children arrived on their doorstep the next day with nothing except the clothes on their backs, and the crew became a family of five.
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This year on July 11, the McKays posted an emotional video on their Instagram page in celebration of the first day they met their children five years ago.
“Five years ago today, our children came to live with us in our first foster-care placement,” they said in the video. “We gave them welcome gifts and showed them around the house, [and] we introduced them to the pets and walked them upstairs to show them their new bedrooms that were filled with new clothes and toys.”
“We all took a walk to the park, and we were completely smitten with these three children we didn’t even know before today,” the McKays continued on the video, saying that for the first time, they made dinner for people other than themselves that night.
I encourage you to watch the video and read the full story as well as the nearly 700 comments.
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“Super heroes — that’s what these two young parents are,” shared reader Kate Philpotts.
“What a lovely story! I’m so glad little ol’ Cleveland, TN is opening its hearts to these children and this lovely family,” wrote another.
Enjoy the full story below.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/07/23/adoption-foster-parents-mckay-dads/
She’s 115, led a simple life and stays busy
When Elizabeth Francis turned 114 years old last year, she said if she made it to her 115th birthday, she had a simple wish: two slices of cake.
Today, Francis — the oldest person in the United States — celebrates that birthday. Her family plans to present her with a large floral-covered vanilla cream sheet cake, her favorite flavor. She can have as many slices as she would like, said Francis’s granddaughter Ethel Harrison, 69.
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“She’s earned something special, but the cake won’t have 115 candles,” Harrison said. “Instead, we’ll make it easy and light three: two number 1’s and a 5.”
Francis’s advice to living a long life at age 115 is the same as it was last year at 114: “Speak your mind and don’t hold your tongue.”
Read the full story here.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/07/25/oldest-person-elizabeth-francis-birthday/
How can I get healthier hair? Here’s what the science says.
My hair has been dry and brittle lately. How can I take better care of it? And what can my hair tell me about my health?
You may not know this, but your scalp has its own microbiome. It’s a special part of the microbiome that exists elsewhere all over your skin, contending with a high density of hair follicles and their oil-producing sebaceous glands.
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The scalp microbiome contains many common bacteria but is also home to a number of fungi, such as the Malassezia species that is associated with seborrheic dermatitis, an inflammatory condition of the scalp causing red, itchy skin and dandruff. Which microbes inhabit your scalp is influenced by your age, sex, hair texture, the environment — including moisture, UV exposure and air pollution — and your behaviors, such as bleaching or coloring your hair or wearing a head covering.
To learn more about healthy hair, read the full column from Trisha S. Pasricha, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/07/22/make-my-hair-healthier/
Find your joy snack!
Here are a few things that brought us joy this week.
- This new stamp honors Alex Trebek and looks like a “Jeopardy!” clue
- We asked Olympians what they dream about before a competition. Watch the video.
- A sportswriter reviews Olympic fashions. Team USA or prep school bullies?
- The cardboard Olympic beds aren’t “anti-sex.” But are they comfy?
- My husband was slowing down. He needed protecting.
- Working Dog Caucus and flying sea creatures: Enjoy some of this week’s best photographs from The Post.
The Well+Being live chat is off next week and will return Thursday, Aug. 8.
Want to know more about “joy” snacks? Our Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima explains. You can also read this story as a comic.
Please let us know how we are doing. Email me at wellbeing@washpost.com. You can also find us on TikTok.
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