Welcome to the “We are the World Blogfest” (#WATWB). The #WATWB was inspired by a simple conversation about how all the negativity on social media had been weighing on us. Wanting to make a difference, we decided to try to do our part to infuse social media with all the good stories that are out there.
We hoped to share stories that showed kindness, compassion, hope, overcoming challenges and in general, the impressive resilience of the human spirit. For every dark, negative story out there, we knew there was a positive, heartwarming story that would add some light and lift the human spirit thus the inception of #WATWB in 2017. Our mission was simply to flood the web with positive uplifting stories to inspire, give hope and motivate others.
As I mentioned last month, sadly, this will be our last #WATWB post. It marks our fifth anniversary and our fifty-fifth post which feels like a satisfying place to bid adieu. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to all co-hosts and bloggers who have been here month after month spreading light during some particularly challenging times on both personal and global levels. I want to especially thank Damyanti Biswas for co-founding this adventure with me and Ashlynn Waterstone who month after month gave it her all, promoting positivity by running our FB page and making sure our positive messages reached the masses.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have participated over the years. I feel truly blessed to have read some beautiful uplifting posts and crossed paths with some incredibly talented bloggers on my journey. For me #WATWB changed the way I navigated the world wide web. Instead of being bogged down by the negativity online I was instead inspired, constantly on the lookout for positive stories to share, even during challenging times. It seemed like a small shift, but I would like to think it changed me for the better and I hope it was as positive for all who participated. As all good things must come to an end for our last share, the two co-hosts, this month will be Sylvia McGrath and myself, Belinda Witzenhausen.
“If you change the way you look at things the things you look at change.”. ~ Wayne Dyer
Now onto my post…
I am a hugger, there I admit it, and like most huggers COVID was hard on me, it definitely curtailed my natural tendency to issue hugs on a whim. One thing I kept reminding myself is that Covid would eventually end and hopefully, life would return to normal. Imagine the thought though of never being able to hug your loved ones again. Well, that was the reality Kevin Eubanks lived with when eight years ago a stroke paralyzed one arm rendering it difficult for Kevin to even hug his family. Kevin was heartbroken that due to his limitations he would never be able to hug his grandchildren…but that all changed. When Eubank’s daughter Emily Sisco, occupational therapy assistant and adjunct professor at Arkansas State University, challenged her students to come up with a solution that would assist him, that is exactly what they did. Her students created “The Hugger aka “HugAgain”, a strap that can be used to help raise the arm, in order to give, and get hugs. This story hit home as I had a loved one in a similar situation, sadly they passed but I know that this would have made his life a bit brighter. The video below shows Kevin’s reaction on his first try…(warning keep tissues handy). *sniffles*🤗🤗🤗
Another Link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/2615759.html
Their page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHugger2022/
👉To add some positivity in your life check out some of the wonderful sites listed in this article…. https://www.joincake.com/blog/positive-websites/👈
In closing, I will continue to share posts that carry with them the spirit that was so beautifully seen in #WATWB and I hope you too will continue to be a light in the darkness! If you post something that you feel would be perfect for #WATWB please feel free to share using the hashtag (#WATWB) post the link on our Facebook Page Wall (@watwbcommunity) or drop us a mention on twitter @WATWB.
✨A huge THANK YOU again! Be well and keep shining…. ✨
“Even a single lamp dispels the deepest darkness. ~”Mahatma Gandhi
Belinda Witzenhausen 
You must be logged in to post a comment.