5 heartwarming stories that brightened 2012

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Storified by CBC News Community· Fri, Dec 21 2012 12:27:42

The world renowned humanitarian Helen Keller once wrote, "although the worldis full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." 

Yes, the CBC Community team has blogged about the grim and gut-wrenching this year - but those posts are only part of the picture. A true portrait of 2012 includes those who haveovercome adversity, shown kindness and generosity, and demonstrated how bold,brave, and beautiful everyday people can be.

Here,then, is a list (from our blog alone!) of those who have restored our faith in humanity this year.

1) The ordinary people who spread kindness after tragedy

RT @MandyHubbard: Finished my first act for #26acts! First time blood donor here. Proof: http://twitpic.com/bnpb27LisaLueddecke

In the aftermath of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that killed over two dozen people, including 20 children, many were left wishing for something they could do to help.

This longing to act, to somehow make things better, inspired an online movement. The #26Acts campaign suggested that one random act of kindnessbe performed for each of the 20 children and 6 adults killed Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Some people brought the number up to 27 or 28 to include the shooter and his mother.

In one post about the tragedy one person recalled a well-known line: "Gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight."

2) The filmmaker who made a kid's dream come true

Cainesarcade

A filmmaker who was blown away by a nine-year-old's cardboard arcade was also shocked to discover that he was the child's first customer.

Nirvan Mullick decided to call more attention to the boy's ingenuity with an internet invitation to all of L.A.'s game players and a short film called Caine's Arcade.

Caine's ArcadeNirvan Mullick

Crowds of enthusiasts came to surprise the child -- but that was only the beginning. People all over the world were so amazed by Cain that they collectively contributed just under $230,000 dollars (and counting!) to help him go to college.

"Imagine what this kid can build with an Engineering degree!" reads the Cain's Arcade website, which is also raising money for other talented kids.

3) The dad who spent 13 years on his daughter'sgraduation present

Blogspot

Bryan Martin's started working on a high school graduation gift for his daughter, Brenna, when she was only in kindergarten.

The sly dad spent 13 years slipping a copy of the Dr. Seuss classic Oh the Places You'll Go to Brenna's teachers, coaches and principals.  When the big day came, the North Carolina teen realized she was reading through a kind of time capsule, and the present had the intended effect.

"I burst out in tears," she wrote in a viral post about the gift. "There are encouraging and sweet words from every teacher I love and remember through my years in this small town."

"I can't express how much I love my Dad for this labour of love."

4) The bearded Sikh woman who stood up for inner beauty

Storify

A widely-shared image intended to ridicule Balpreet Kaur, a young Sikh woman with facial hair, ended up showcasing the Ohio State University student's true beauty. 

"I'm not embarrassed or even humiliated by the attention (negative and positive) that this picture is getting because, it's who I am ... By transcending societal views of beauty, I believe that I can focus more on my actions," she wrote in an even-tempered and eloquent reflection.

"Yes, I'm a baptized Sikh woman with facial hair. Yes, I realize that my gender is often confused and I look different than most women. However . .. Sikhs do not reject the body that has been given to us."

Her full response inspired many to be more open minded and to applaud her for standing up for herself so maturely.

5) The small town high school that let diversity reign

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High school isn't always a fun place for teens who dare to be different -- but CBC Community member Suzanne Andrews alerted us to a school in Trenton Ont. that not only tolerates but truly celebrates diversity.

Their prom queen, Connor Ferguson, is a transgender 18-year-old who said the support of her school community has helped her face the hostility and ridicule of others.

"My school, the staff and my peers have been nothing but supportive of me from day one, but the fact I was being considered for prom queen was still unreal," she wrote in a post for our blog. "I honestly didn't think I would win."

Ferguson was really nervous about her first time in a gown and heels, worried that someone might say something cruel. Instead, she remembers only kind words, hugs, and compliments: "You look beautiful!"

"Being a transgender prom queen IS possible. Being happy IS possible. And acceptance for all is MORE than possible," concludes Ferguson.

Honourable mentions

When it came to choosing uplifting stories, we're happy to report we had an embarrassment of riches.  If you liked the stories featured above, here are a few other great folks we'd like you to meet:

From the CBC Community Blog:

Filemobile

Photo above by CBC Community member Mary Bowyer

From elsewhere on CBCNews.ca

Cbc

What was your favourite heartwarming story from 2012? Please share your reactions to these stories, or any others you love, in the thread below.

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