My mood whenever I press "send" and I know Positive DONUT is about to hit your inbox and brighten your day: 

Thanks so much to everyone who wished us a happy birthday on last week's second anniversary edition🥳.

We're back this week with a packed newsletter of tearjerkers, heartwarmers, and adorable baby animals – what more could you ask for?! (Srsly though, if you think of something pls let me know.)

I hope you have a fantastic week. As always, thanks for being here!🥰

- Kailyn

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter should take about 2.52 enjoyable minutes to read.

I stay patient and trust my journey. I am on my own path.

If you ask Kelli Ritschel Boehle who her hero is, she'll say her son, Nik. 

Diagnosed with a rare type of cancer at only 17, Nik fought the disease for four years before he passed in 2012. Eleven years later, Kelli still works every day to honor her son's memory.

🙏 What's in a wish... One of the most special memories during the time Nik was sick was their family's trip to Hawaii, granted by the Make A Wish Foundation.  

• “To him, [receiving a wish] was like the Willy Wonka golden ticket,” Kelli said. “He was always looking for the positive in this situation.”

Nik's Hawaii wish-trip was the brightest moment of his four-year battle with cancer. So when he met a fellow cancer fighter ineligible to receive a wish because he had just turned 18, it broke his heart.

The night before he passed, Nik asked his mom if she would help make young adults fighting cancer's wishes come true so they could experience the same joy he did during his fight with the disease.

• “It was like a seed he planted that just wouldn’t stop nagging at my mind until the point where it was waking me up in the middle of the night,” she shared of her son's request.

And hence, Nik's Wish was born. 

For the last decade and some change, Kelli has been running The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation (Nik's Wish for short), a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who are battling cancer.

They've granted everything from family vacations, to new computers, to meet and greet events with celebrities – and Kelli uses every opportunity to honor and remember her son. 

🖤 Grief is a journey: It wasn't always easy for Kelli, who shared that at first granting the wishes was too painful for her, as it would remind her of the four-year cancer battle Nik went through. 

All these years later, however, and now it's her favorite thing to do. 

• “I think he is looking down from heaven, telling me, ‘I told you, Mom. We can do it. You can do it. They need it. Keep going,’” Kelli said. “I think he’s always encouraging me, always helping me out.”

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Save 20% on your order from Floof with code PAWDONUT20.

I couldn't choose just one pic of this adorable and ferocious little ball of fluff. 

🐾 How awwwwwesome... The little guy pictured above was born in July at the Oklahoma Zoo and Botanical Garden. The kitten is the first clouded leopard birth in all of 2023, marking an exciting and hopeful step forward for the vulnerable species. 

• The kitten is being cared for around the clock by carnivore zookeeper specialists. 
• Per a Facebook post from the zoo: "Caretakers report the kitten is healthy and doing everything a newborn should be doing – eating, sleeping and growing!"

🚌 A collective effort... More than forty people sprang to action in Germany earlier this month after a teenager was trapped underneath a bus as he was running to catch it. The group of civilian rescuers, who worked together to lift the bus up enough for the boy to escape from underneath it, are now being hailed as heroes. 

📚 What goes around, comes around... East Sussex, UK, resident Ros Ford ordered a copy of one of her favorite books for her husband's birthday. When the used book arrived, she was shocked to find her own handwriting inside the cover – with a note she had written to her father nearly 40 years prior. "It's a lovely circular story," she said. "I have the privilege of paying for the same book twice."

🐿🐿 Hey Squirrelfriends... Los Angeles resident Derrick Downey Jr. built a fully furnished tiny apartment for two adopted squirrels who frequent his yard – and in today's housing market, it'd be worth a pretty penny. The home for Richard and Maxine (the squirrels) features an expansive green lawn, a birdbath, and a large covered balcony on the exterior. The interior features a fireplace, a large-screen television, and a sofa built for two.

Much like reading Positive DONUT each week, journaling regularly can have some amazing benefits for humans' overall well-being. 

The simple act of putting pen to paper can help relieve stress, improve our overall mood, and even offer physical benefits such as lower blood pressure😮. Maybe those who say "the pen is mightier than the sword" are on to something.

🍁🍁🍁 Fall is here... With the change of seasons upon us, it's always nice to take stock of how you're feeling and what you're looking forward to the rest of the year. 

Try out a few of these fall-themed journaling prompts below: 

1. Talk about your ideas for personal growth this fall.
2. How do you deal with the changes in life, such as the transition of each season? Are you indifferent, or is it hard on you? (Seasonal depression can be a real kicker!) What can you do to help support yourself through these transitions? 
3. Talk about a few things you could do daily to have a more positive mindset as the seasons change.
4. Do you remember your goals from the beginning of the year? How are you doing with them? 
5. How has your life changed since last fall? 
6. What are a few things you want to accomplish this season? 

Did you know that "toasting” wine once involved actual toast? 

To balance its acidic taste, the Ancient Romans would drop a piece of toasted bread into each glass before raising it high.

🍾 🍷 Pinot Noir was a tried and true favorite of the Romans, and now the trusted experts at The Wine Connection have selected these beautiful Pinots of the world they know DONUT readers will love.

With 27+ years of providing personalized recommendations and sourcing the finest rare wines, you’ll be toasting to The Wine Connection’s exceptional service and impeccable tastes.

🔥🍩 LIMITED COUPON SPECIAL – first 10 readers ONLY can save 20% on any 3+ bottles with code DONUT10 (if you missed it, you can still save with coupon DONUT09).

... because it's time for What's Your Win, the section of the newsletter where we celebrate all of the good news happening in your lives. 

Big or small, there's always something to be grateful for. Check out the wins this week! 

❤️ Danielle K. from Nashville, Tennessee, is finding gratitude in growth...

• "I'm growing up! No, really... I've noticed over the last several months that things which used to bother me significantly no longer phase me. For example, I used to get hurt and offended when I heard others talking about me behind my back. I recently ran into this issue at work, but for the first time, it didn't bother me when I heard the conversation and I just moved on. I'm proud of myself for caring less about what others think of me and focusing on myself. I know this sounds negative, but it's actually really positive for me. Letting go of those types of things can do wonders!" 

🤗 Secondly, I have a win for myself this week!

• "Last week was my birthday, which I always find makes me reflect quite a bit on the last year. Thinking about where I was on my birthday last year, I am so proud of all of the personal and professional growth I've experienced. I feel like a different person than I was last September in the absolute best way. I am genuinely happy for the first time in a long time; that's a win for myself if I've ever heard one! I'm so excited to see how I can continue to move forward and grow in this next year. Very grateful🥰."

In this crazy day-and-age, nothing positive is too small to celebrate. And who knows? A little bit of positivity and support may be just what's needed to help someone else power through some tough times.

Feel free to share even the simplest achievements with us, we promise to be your biggest hype-people🤝😎.

Share your everyday wins and accomplishments with us here. 

1. What is a Beaujolais?
2. Compared to their body weight, which animal is the strongest – a dung beetle, elephant, ant, or cow?
3. What is the capital of Canada?
4. Which country features a shipwreck on its national flag?

👆 Check out the referral prizes you can get, just for introducing people you know to little old us. 

What to do: Copy your unique link below, then send it to anyone who you think would like Positive DONUT. Once you hit each milestone, you'll get an email with a link to claim your prize. (Pro tip: there's no need to ration points, you're entitled to a prize at each tier.)

Start referring.👇

1. A type of red wine🍷
2. Dung beetle💩
3. Ottawa🇨🇦
4. Bermuda🇧🇲

How many did you get? Hit that reply button and let me know!

Hit that reply button and let me know, I read every response. Have a great week!🥰

–Kailyn

P.S. Enjoying this newsletter and want to support my work? It'd mean the world if you told a friend or two about Positive DONUT. You can even win sweet, sweet prizes for each person you refer using your unique link (see two sections above this one).