Happy Tuesday to you, and welcome to Positive DONUT – the newsletter where we get to "ooh" and "aaah" at all of the good in the world🤩. 

My goal by the end of the newsletter? To have you feeling like this: 

We have a great hodgepodge of stories and sections today – some brand new, and some from past issues. Let me know which are your favorites, I love hearing from you! 

Have a fantastic week🥰. 

- Kailyn

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter should take about 3.53 minutes to read.

I have been and always will be enough. I embrace all of life's imperfections.

📝 Repeat after me: "You are seen. You belong. You matter. You’re chosen. You’re not alone. You’re a gift. You’re loved." 

As you walk through Peter Mutabazi's North Carolina home, you will see quotes like these decorating the house. The affirmations cover the fridge, and are also embroidered on the dogs' collars for everyone in the family to read often. The single dad's goal is to make sure all of his kids feel safe and loved at home. 

• Peter has been a foster dad since 2016. Since taking on the responsibility, he's had more than three dozen children come in and out of his home.
• The dedicated dad is part of less than 3% of foster parents made up of single men. As a Black man, he makes up an even smaller minority.

🇺🇬 Humble beginnings... His desire to foster came from first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to be a child on their own. Peter ran away from an abusive home at only 10 years old, and was forced to raise himself on the streets of Kampala, Uganda.

It wasn’t until a kind stranger noticed him and offered to pay for his boarding school that Peter got back on his feet.

• After graduating and moving to America to get his masters degree two decades ago, Peter decided to become a foster parent to help children in similar situations. Now, with three adopted children of his own, he's proving daily that a loving family is one of the most valuable things you can offer a child.

🫶 Love knows no color... Peter's three adopted children are white, but, as he says, "a healthy family is based on love, not skin color." 

He hopes his mixed family encourages other people to consider fostering and adopting, regardless of their skin color. He has no choice over which children come in and out of his home – he's fostered white, Latino, Native American, and Black children. 

• Above all else, Peter prioritizes creating a safe and loving environment for every single child that comes through his doors. According to CNN, Peter says that overcoming his childhood trauma and becoming the father he wished he had is one of his biggest joys.
• “[A loving home] is what I needed the most and no one ever did [that] for me," he shared. "I was never held. As a kid, affection was never given to me. All I thought about was survival, survival, survival." 

📝 Bottom line: By opening his heart and his home to these children in need, Peter is breaking cycles and hopefully inspiring future generations.

“I’m a girl dad now. Sometimes it feels surreal,” he says about his children. “I look at them and I can’t believe that they are my kids, they have my last name. I can’t believe that this once homeless and hopeless person has now created this crazy family filled with love.”

P.S. This story was originally published in Positive DONUT in October 2023. It was so sweet we had to share it again🥰.

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Army veteran Alex Dillman lost the ability to use his legs during his second Afghanistan deployment when his vehicle hit an IED. 

He was told he may never walk again. So, he decided to jump out of planes instead. 

🪂 Wait, what?... Alex is part of an adventure therapy nonprofit called "SkyDive First Project," whose mission is to improve mental health for veterans, first responders, and those with PTSD or depression through adventure therapy (aka tandem skydiving).

• Skydiving has given Alex a new lease on life, as well as a sense of confidence and connection to his body that he hasn't experienced since the accident. 
• Per Alex: "Having that feeling again [of connecting with my body], even if it's for 30 seconds or 60 seconds... is enough for me!"

🎂 Happy Birthday x4... 18 years ago, parents Julie and Jose were told they were having identical quadruplets – and that it was unlikely all four babies would make it through the pregnancy. Now, the girls are turning 18 and heading into adulthood healthy and happy.

🏊‍♀️ Everyday heroes... Teenagers Emma Bassermann and Zoe Ireland-Meklensek may not be lifeguards, but that didn't stop the competitive swimmers from running into the sea to rescue an older couple trapped in a rip current. The girls are being hailed as heroes, and, according to the couple, "really were like a couple of angels on that beach.”

🌿🫧 Nature provides... Who doesn't love bubbles?! Two tourists in Fiji healed part of their inner children when they discovered a native plant that transforms into a bubble wand. Experience the joy here.

Regular journaling has been proven to have some amazing benefits for our physical and mental health. 

• The simple act of getting our thoughts out of our heads and onto paper can help reduce stress levels, combat anxiety, and recognize and manage our emotional triggers. It can also help you get to know yourself better – and who doesn't want that??

✍️ So, what are you waiting for? ... I Ioved all of these journaling prompts by Silk and Sonder (I couldn't narrow it down to just a few). Pick your favorites and enjoy! 

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Welcome to my favorite part of the newsletter, What's Your Win, where we get to celebrate all of the Positive News happening right here within our Positive DONUT community. 

There's always something to be grateful for – check out the submissions this week! 

🗽 Shaun G. from Mqabba, Malta, is seeing new parts of the world...

• "I'm from a small country in the Mediterranean, and I'm currently in New York City for the first time! I've never spent any time in America – let alone NYC, and it's been incredible. I've gotten to explore some amazing places with my girlfriend like the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, and more. I got to meet her family for the first time and try so many American foods and traditions I would have never thought of (including parmesan on pizza- what???). it's been an amazing trip and I'm looking forward to being here for one more week before heading home."

🎶 Chloe D. from Phoenix, Arizona, is celebrating career strides...

• "I'm a performer, and I've been auditioning for months in hopes of finding a new job working in my field. It's been discouraging and frustrating at times, but I'm excited to share I just got cast in an exciting new singing gig!! I can't wait to get started this week and start making money as a singer – my dream!" 

Now I totally get it: life can get busy and overwhelming. It's hard to see the bright side sometimes.

But this isn't about toxic positivity – it's about perspective and expectations (which some, like our CEO, say is the secret to happiness). There truly is always something to be grateful for, even if it's as simple as your favorite cozy blanket or a fantastic latte you had earlier today.

• What's Your Win is about taking a moment to remember the good things in life. And who knows? Sharing your win might inspire someone else to recognize the good in theirs🥰.

Share your everyday wins and gratitude here for a chance to be featured in next week's newsletter and have a positive impact on a stranger's life.

Submit a win – or a friend/partner/family member's win – here.

Take your best shot at answering these food-themed trivia questions. How many can you get? 

1. What is the only fruit with seeds on the outside? 
2. Mozzarella cheese is traditionally made from the milk of what animal? 
3. Which are the only two US states where coffee beans are commercially grown? 

(keep scrolling for the answers)

👆 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. Strawberry 🍓
2. While much of the mozzarella cheese in the US is now made from cow’s milk, traditionally it's produced using the milk of a water buffalo🦬
3. Hawaii and California

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 (found two sections above).