Today, I graduated from medical school at the top of my class. 29 years ago a 14-year-old orphan in a third world country was raped and forced to keep the baby. In a strange turn of events, the pregnant orphan was adopted by a moderately wealthy family. That orphan was my mom. That baby was me. Today, my mom and I are best friends. MMT

Today, at my grandfather’s funeral, my grandmother literally spent most of the ceremony with a smile on her face. During my grandfather’s eulogy, she said, “If you’re wondering how I could be smiling, it’s because I’ve had a great life. Greg and I were married for 51 remarkable years. As you can tell from all the photos spread around here, we’ve lived life loudly. I consider myself one of the lucky ones.” MMT

Today, when my homeroom teacher realized why I was upset, he said, “If people talk behind your back, it’s because you’re way ahead of them. Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t look back.” MMT

Today, at the soup kitchen where I work there was a long line of homeless people waiting patiently in a line outside in the snow for a warm bowl of soup. At about 2:00PM – 3 hours before we open our doors to the homeless – a man and woman pulled up in a minivan and handed every single homeless person a hot cup of coffee and a ham sandwich. MMT

Today, when I apologized to my music teacher for improvising the final few notes of a song at our rehearsal because I couldn't remember how to play it perfectly, she said, "That was great! Perfect is boring!" MMT

Today, at the cancer institute where I work the person with the highest number of individual cancer research charity donations (not the highest total dollar amount) over the course of the last 5 years is a homeless man. His wife died from cancer several years ago. Since then, he comes into our clinic once a week and deposits a few quarters in our collection box. MMT

Today, on my friend Sara’s 19th birthday I volunteered with her at a youth group for handicapped kids. When Sara was born, doctors told her parents she wouldn't live more than a week due to a lung condition. A week later they said she would live but she would never walk or run. Yesterday, as we were jogging in Central Park she pointed to a teenager in a wheelchair and said, “That should be me.” And that’s why she volunteers every year on her birthday. MMT

Today I was approached by a homeless man who asked if I had any change. I had two quarters in my pocket so I gave them to him. As I watched him walk away, he kneeled down and handed one of the quarters to elderly homeless man sitting on the sidewalk who looked too weak to stand up. MMT

Today, my sister was asked out by one of the most popular guys at our school. She’s always been the pretty one and I’ve always been the quiet one. When I walked past them in the lunch room today I heard him ask her, “Why’s your sister such a weirdo?” My sister got up, dumped him in front of all his friends and came over and ate her lunch with me. MMT

Today, a random guy I’ve never met before carried me back to my dorm and did everything in his power to make sure I was okay after someone drugged me at a college party this afternoon. He even went into my iPhone and called my friends listed in my favorites to come look after me. I don’t remember anything, but I know that without his help I could have died. MMT

Today, a quiet freshman boy at our school wore a pink polo. He took a lot of heat for it all morning – other kids just kept teasing him. The senior captain of our boy’s basketball team saw him getting teased, went home at lunch time and came back with an identical pink polo shirt on. It immediately silenced all the bullies. MMT

Today, a random woman in an Escalade pulled up to the donation drop-off door at the homeless shelter where I work and dropped off 46 bags of fresh groceries completely unannounced. MMT

Today , while I was sitting in the outpatient waiting room preparing myself for my first round of chemotherapy and feeling extremely sorry for myself, a little boy with a bald head, no older than 5, snuck up behind me, handed me a Hershey’s Kiss, gave my leg a big hug and said, “My mom says we have to keep smiling.” MMT

Today, the president and co-founder of a local charity that directly cares for homeless people in our area is a 26-year-old tattoo artist who is covered from head to toe with tattoos and piercings and has long brown dreadlocks. He’s been running the charity since he was 20 and helped me get back on my feet four years ago. People like him who ignore stereotypes and make a difference by doing things their own way MMT.

Today, as cars were barely swerving enough to miss them, and just as I was pulling over to assist them, a car of four teenagers stopped on the side of the highway, jumped out and carried the three turtles that were crossing the highway to safety. MMT

Today in the pouring rain, I saw a businesswoman who had an umbrella and a raincoat hand her umbrella to a complete stranger who was desperately trying to cover her head from the rain with her purse. MMT

Today, when all of his friends were on a school field trip, my 14-year-old son was donating bone marrow in an effort to help his best friend who is battling cancer. MMT

Today, as I was teaching my 19-year-old daughter how to cover her old scars from cutting, she stopped me and said, “I don’t want to cover up my scars. I like to see them. They remind of where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. And they inspire me to keep living and growing.” MMT

Today, I received a large envelope in the mail at the suicide hotline center where I have volunteered for the last 22 years. In it was an 8x10 photo of a young family of 5 (mom, dad, and 3 kids ages roughly between 3 and 9). There was a post-it note on the photo that said, “Thank you. This family would not exist today if it wasn’t for you.” MMT

Today, a 9-year-old patient of mine will be undergoing her 14th surgery in the past 2 years to combat a rare form of cancer. Even after all the surgeries I’ve never seen her frown. She’s still 100% sure she’ll survive. And I’m certain her attitude is the primary reason she has survived to this point. She still laughs and plays with her friends and family. She has intelligent goals for the future. A kid like her who can go through everything she’s been through and come out smiling MMT.