The year has just started but it seems to be getting off to a rough start. As the new year came in there was a tragic event in New Orleans. There was even a shooting in Queens, NYC as people were waiting on a line outside a venue. Then, the last functional hospital in Gaza was bombed. It’s good to be informed on the happenings in this world, but when you hear things like this it can bring sadness and fear. My theme for this month is joy. I want to hear more good news than the tragic ones. Unfortunately, we live in a world that prefers to let us know the latter. So, I would like to report some good news that can be right now.
- Generation Beta has begun. I am a millennial (1981-1996) and this is the 3rd generation since that time. Let’s hope this generation is a good one.
- New York State Governor Hochul has approved paid parental leave of up to 20 hours during pregnancy or fertility treatments to prevent/reduce birth mortality rates of the child and mother. This helps the private industry employees the most from having to choose work over care.
- Dinosaur tracks from 166 million years were discovered in London.
- El Salvador had its lowest number of homicide last year with only 114.
- In NYC, a man returned an overdue library book from 72 years prior that belonged to his mother.
- The minimum wage has increased to $16.50 in NY state.
- New York residents on most healthcare plans will no longer have to pay copays for insulin.
- Quadrantis meteor shower, seen from yesterday night to this morning.
Although some of these things are not big events, it’s the most I could find. But, I think it’s better to hear something positive than everything being negative. Let’s set the year off right and stay informed but look for some good news in the world and in our day to day life to help bring some joy into the year.