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Years ago – before social media, Brexit and Donald Trump – there was a word our parents and our parents' parents used to use.
It's a little archaic now, but we looked it up in the Oxford Dictionary and apparently, it means: "Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something."
The word is "optimism".
It looks funny written down, doesn't it? We're not 100% sure how to pronounce it, but if we understand its meaning correctly, then the best way to shake off the nightmares of the past 12 months and to enter 2018 anew is with a bit of good news.
So to make us all more "optimistic", "hopeful" and "confident" about the future, we've trawled the internet to find the 17 stories that proved 2017 wasn't so bad after all.
1. A little girl mistook a bride for a princess and it was amazing.
It happened back in June on the streets of Seattle. The bride in question, Shandace Lerma, was taking part in a pre-wedding photo shoot when a little girl and her mother passed by on the street. The girl was clutching a copy of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins in hand and mistook Shandace for the titular character.
We should be so lucky to experience just half the unbridled joy in our lifetimes this little girl experienced in this one moment.
Young girl and her mum (left) and the bride, Shandace (right) (Stephanie Cristalli )
2. Strangers donate thousands so that an elderly man can go on holiday for the first time in decades.
Neighbours. Everybody needs good neighbours. With a little understanding.
Luckily, that's exactly what 73-year-old Dave has.
Dave had spent ten years caring for his wife, Ivy, who had dementia. On the day she died, he told his neighbour Payne Silver that he hadn't left the house in two months.
He also revealed to Silver that he hadn't been on holiday for 35 years and that he had always wanted to see the world, but that he thought he'd missed his chance.
In response, Silver set up a JustGiving page for Dave to raise money for his holiday fund. To date, strangers have donated more than £3,000 to give Dave a new lease on life.
If you're looking for a good deed this Christmas, here's the page. You know what to do.
Picture: Screengrab / Twitter / Payne Silver
3. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to Toronto Pride and lived his absolute best life.
He wore rainbow socks and high-fived a little girl dressed as Wonder Woman. When will your faves?
Picture: Rex Features
4. Science confirmed what we already knew – that Harry Potter fans are better people.
A paper, entitled The Greatest Magic of Harry Potter: Reducing Prejudice, proclaimed that kids who read Harry Potter books grew up to be more tolerant of minorities.
According to the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, three studies were carried out to test whether extended contact through reading the best-selling series "improves attitudes towards stigmatised groups (immigrants, homosexuals, refugees)".
Turns out that, yes, yes it does. And isn't that better than magic?
5. Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy gave a little boy his golf ball and in that moment he was the happiest person in the world.
The moment was captured in a heartwarming clip, just after the 15th hole of the British Masters in October. The young boy Henry reacts as if he'd just scored a hole in one.
6. A woman flipped Trump off as she cycled past his motorcade and we all lived vicariously through her just for a moment.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear a white top and a cycling helmet like the woman who cycled beside the president's motorcade as it was leaving the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia.
She gave him the finger.
Twice.
Picture: Getty Images / BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor
7. More than half a million trees were planted to defy Trump's views on climate change.
You don't have to use your middle finger to protest the former reality TV star. In response to his abysmal track record on climate change and pulling out of the Paris climate change agreement, an action group was created to fight back on behalf of the planet.
Trump Forest (yes, a nod to the president's obsession with naming products after himself), was created to plant trees and to soak up any extra greenhouse gas emissions that may be pumped into the atmosphere.
To date, more than 800,000 trees have been planted in defiance of Trump around the world.
8. A pupper proved he was the absolute best boy by doing his shopping all on his own.
Who's a good boy? Piucto is a good boy!
This year we learned that the talented pooch from Brazil goes to Agro Pet Shop every day to get his own food.
His food is on the top shelf, so he has to bark so an assistant can hand it to him, and then he proudly carries it all the way home. Sometimes he even picks up cat food and bird seed for his other animal pals, too.
The one drawback is he has is no pockets, but luckily all of Pituco's purchases go on his owner's tab, so he doesn't have to worry too much, really.
9. A rare breed of tiger not seen for more than 60 years was caught on camera.
Photographer Nilanjan Ray managed to capture a snap of the breathtaking and incredibly rare pale tiger.
One of the last sightings of the breed in the wild was in the 1950s.
The tiger is neither a proper white tiger nor an albino but is thought to have a rare genetic mutation that causes its exact colour.
Thankfully, this beautiful creature's exact location is being kept a closely guarded secret, in order to keep poachers off the scent.
It's always reassuring to learn that there's still beauty in the world escaping the destructive touch of mankind.
Picture: Provided by NILANJAN RAY
10. A woman proposed to her policewoman girlfriend in front of roaring crowds at Pride and it was heartwarming.
If there's ever a time for hopefulness and optimism, it's during LGBT+ Pride celebrations, when love and jubilation are celebrated in their purest forms.
At London Pride this year, while punters adorned in rainbow-themed costumed applauded the parade, one couple changed the course of their lives forever and devoted themselves to one another by getting engaged.
No, we're not crying, there's just something in our eye.
Picture: Twitter/BTP
11. Miss Texas proved she was better-suited at running the country than anyone.
A lot of these good news stories are a reaction to Trump, huh? Who saw that coming.
When Trump was called upon to condemn white supremacists who caused riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this year, he failed in many people's eyes to promptly or adequately do so. Instead, he repeatedly chose to blame "many sides".
Luckily, the Miss America 2018 pageant proved there's still hope for our friends across the Atlantic. When called to the stage and asked if she agreed with the president's response, Miss Texas, Margana Wood, gave a much more presidential response.
"I think that the white supremacist issue, it was very obvious that it was a terrorist attack," she said.
"And I think that president Donald Trump should have made a statement earlier addressing the fact and making sure all Americans feel safe in this country – that is the number one issue right now."
Anyone fancy being Margana's running mate in 2020?
Picture:
12. Danny DeVito helped save a man's life – and then Arnold Schwarzenegger passed on his message of thanks.
We all know that Twins is a cinematic masterpiece, but maybe the greatest thing Danny DeVito has ever done in the world is help save a man's life.
This year on Reddit, a user known only as MisterSeeDee explained how he had begun having suicidal thoughts after being severely abused as a child.
The story goes that while on a ski trip in Utah with his parents, MisterSeeDee sat next to a stranger with a scarf over his face on a ski lift.
Seeing that MisterSeeDee was visibly miserable, the stranger asked what was wrong, which prompted his riding companion to open up about the abuse.
The stranger told MisterSeeDee that he had gone through a similar thing when he was young and that, eventually, everything would be OK. MisterSeeDee said the conversation helped save his life.
It was only at the end of the ski lift journey that he realised he had been speaking to none other than Danny DeVito.
Arnie – an avid Reddit user – came across the story and was so touched, he commented to say he would pass on his message to his Twins co-star.
It's amazing what happens when you put a simple act of kindness out into the world.
Picture: Getty Images
13. A beautiful image of hope emerges from the destruction of Hurricane Harvey.
When it comes to the list of people to immortalise in statue form, Deputy R Johnson from the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Texas must be near the top of the list.
An image of the sheriff's deputy rescuing two children during Hurricane Harvey went viral this year and touched the hearts of hundreds of thousands.
It's pictures like this that make us think the world is not a cold, misreble place after all.
Picture: HCSOTexas/Twitter screengrab
14. A nine-year-old wrote to Nasa asking for a job defending the Earth from aliens – and Nasa wrote back.
We're pretty sure few kids were like us with lofty ambitions of growing up to be journalists. Nine-year-old Jack Davis from New Jersey, for example, wants to join Nasa as a "planetary protection officer".
Only Jack didn't want to wait until he'd grown up. So this year, he wrote to Nasa to apply for a vacancy, claiming to be a Guardian of the Galaxy and a great fit for the organisation because he can "think like an alien".
What makes this story even better is that Nasa wrote back.
"We are always looking for bright future scientists and engineers to help us, so I hope you will study hard and do well in school,” wrote Dr James Green, Director of the said Planetary Science Division. “We hope to see you here at Nasa one of these days!"
Some of us are just looking up at the stars, but kids like Jack are reaching out to grab them.
Picture: Nasa
15. Strangers donated nearly £300,000 for a homeless man who gave a woman his last £15.
Every now and again we need a story like this to remind us that there's still kindness in the world.
Kate McClure thought she was stuck in the middle of Philadelphia without fuel or cash until homeless man Johnny Bobbitt Jr paid for her petrol with his last scrap of cash.
As a thank you, McClure set up a crowd-funding page to raise money for Bobbitt and it went viral. In fact, it raised as much as £300,000 by early December.
With the money, Bobbitt has since bought a house, puppy and a "dream truck". Bobbitt is also donating money to organisations that helped him through what he calls a "rough patch" in his life.
No, we're not crying again. There's just something in our eye. Again.
Picture: GoFundMe
16. Euston station will be used as a banquet hall for the homeless on Christmas Day for a special festive feast.
Usually, there's nothing worse than when brands try to anthropomorphise on social media - but this time it led to 11 major restaurants and eateries clubbing together to donate food for the homeless.
It started after Network Rail volunteers and charity workers announced that they'd turn London's Euston station into a homeless shelter on 25 December, decking out the concourse with boughs of holly and laying on a festive spread for 200 of the most in-need.
In response to the story, Twitter user Peter Falloon took to the site to ask Pret a Manger, Leon Restaurants and Burger King - all of which have branches in Euston station - whether they'd be willing to cater the event or donate any leftover food.
Leon were the first reply, saying they'd "love to help feed those in need on Christmas Day".
So we got to thinking, what of the other 26 restaurants and shops in the station who sell food and drinks? indy100 got in touch with each and every one to ask if they'd be willing to pledge any donations themselves, and 10 got back throwing their weight behind the initiative, offering everything from shower gels and chocolate brownies to panettones and coffee.
Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe / Getty Images
17. This inclusive church has the best response whenever homophobic or anti-LGBT+ protestors darken its doors.
This month we learned about the First Congregational Church of Geneva, sitting on the corner of 4th and Hamilton Street in downtown Geneva, Illinois, which has an army of counter-protesters and first responders ready to combat any anti-LGBT+ groups who appear at the church's doorstep.
The church has been a vocal supporter of the LGBT+ community and marriage equality for years, but unfortunately, being such a visible ally of equality is going to incur the ire of those who wish to destroy that way of life. This year has seen more and more homophobic and anti-LGBT+ protests taking place outside the church.
By November, enough was enough and it was time for a change. The Chicago Tribune reported that 175 people from Geneva's more progressive churches and organisations, as well as just good-hearted individuals not affiliated with any particular group, turned out in response to the latest anti-gay protest.
In the wake of this love and support for diversity and inclusiveness, the church set up a mailing list of counter-protestors who wished to be notified every time anti-gay protestors show up. And throughout November and December, that's exactly what has happened.
Anytime there's been an anti-gay protest since November, an email blast has been sent out and counter-protesters have appeared on the church's doorstep within five minutes.
Love is love, after all.
Picture: First Congregational Church of Geneva
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