The Optimist: Five tales of hope for the season

21 good things that happened in 2021; A teen found a way to ease her anxiety and despair: Give away thousands of books to sick children; Christmas elves vs. the supply crisis; On the line at Edwins, where a restaurateur dishes out tough love to former inmates; The journey from seed to harvested Christmas tree is a long, winding road; A UPS driver left a kind message for a family. They put it on Instagram, and strangers showered the driver's baby with gifts. ; As a single mother, I lost my job before Christmas. I don't believe in miracles, but here's what happened. ; Richard Antoine White once had little more than his tuba. Now, he's a musical pioneer.; An 18-year-old woman is helping change the face — and speed — of sailing ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Stories that inspire.     (Beya Rebai for The Post) A Christmas gift: Stories of a return to something familiar Every year at this time, The Post offers stories about the season. Amid a new surge of the coronavirus, here are five tales of people's hopes for a restoration of pre-pandemic life. By Marisa Iati, Silvia Foster-Frau, Paul Schwartzman, Emily Davies and Rebecca Tan ●  Read more »   21 good things that happened in 2021 It was a turbulent year. But the exercise offered some sorely needed optimism for us. Opinion ●  By the Editorial Board ●  Read more »   A teen found a way to ease her anxiety and despair: Give away thousands of books to sick children Since the summer, Emily Bhatnagar has collected more than 7,000 books. By Sydney Page ●  Read more »   Christmas elves vs. the supply crisis Santa and his elves are here to combat the supply crisis. Can you find all 100 elves and Santa? By Eddie Alvarez and Jake Crump ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   On the line at Edwins, where a restaurateur dishes out tough love to former inmates Edwins, a fine dining French restaurant in Cleveland, also serves as training ground for people coming out of prison. By Laura Meckler ●  Read more »   The journey from seed to harvested Christmas tree is a long, winding road After more than a decade of cultivation and diligent caretaking, trees can travel hundreds of miles before they get a star turn as the centerpiece of holiday decorations. By Chris Moody ●  Read more »   Get breaking news alerts, offline reading lists and more. Download the app   ADVERTISEMENT   A UPS driver left a kind message for a family. They put it on Instagram, and strangers showered the driver's baby with gifts. "They just have been coming in abundance — mostly from strangers," UPS driver Dallen Harrell said of the gifts. By Kellie B. Gormly ●  Read more »   As a single mother, I lost my job before Christmas. I don't believe in miracles, but here's what happened. I wasn't just a single parent, I was the only parent. My paycheck was survival. Perspective ●  By Tammy Rabideau ●  Read more »   Richard Antoine White once had little more than his tuba. Now, he's a musical pioneer. White went from the streets of Baltimore to the philharmonic. In his memoir "I'm Possible," he tells the story of how he transformed his life. Review ●  By Clyde McGrady ●  Read more »   An 18-year-old woman is helping change the face — and speed — of sailing CJ Perez's abundant talent and expertise at foiling has landed her in SailGP, a top-level league that wants to create more opportunities in the sport for women and members of other underrepresented communities. By Des Bieler ●  Read more »     We think you'll like this newsletter Check out About US for candid conversations about identity in America — from racial injustices to political movements — in your inbox Tuesdays and Fridays. Sign up »

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