By Order of My Therapist, I’m Only Reading Wholesome News This Week

Oct 09, 2026 06:00 PM EDT
Cartoon squirrel daydreaming about an acorn, from a wholesome news card about squirrels accidentally planting millions of oak trees.
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My phone has a special talent for delivering terrible news right when I’m trying to fall asleep, so I’ve started fighting back. Every so often I go looking for wholesome news on purpose, like a raccoon digging for the one good snack in the trash. Turns out there’s a lot of it, it just doesn’t yell as loud. Here’s a pile of the good stuff, sorted by nobody and enjoyed thoroughly by me.

Cartoon Ozzy Osbourne holding a $190 million check raised by Black Sabbath's farewell concert.

The Prince of Darkness, out here funding the light.

Wholesome news illustration of a dog and person sleeping side by side, citing calmer sleep.
Sweden texts blood donors when their donation saves a life, shown with a cheering cartoon.
Cartoon girl riding a big dog, noting dog owners walk 22 extra minutes a day.

My dog has been my unpaid personal trainer for six years.

Cartoon scissors cutting a rope, reporting a 35 percent decline in the global suicide rate.
Wholesome news card on Denmark letting citizens copyright their own face, voice and body.

My face, my rights, my terrible passport photo.

Cartoon man hugging a tree over news of 400,000 acres of Amazon rainforest preserved.
Wholesome news drawing of an Indian man who planted a tree daily for 35 years.
Cartoon school holding a no AI sign about New York City's classroom AI ban.
Cartoon Dolly Parton hugging a book, celebrating 300 million books from her Imagination Library.

Dolly Parton remains undefeated in every category.

Wholesome news card with a mustached book and hourglass, linking reading to a longer life.
Cartoon dog waving at a drone, honoring the Drone Ranger who reunited 122 lost pets.
Wholesome news about Mexico's reintroduced bison restoring the ecosystem, with a dancing cartoon bison.
Cartoon squirrel thinking about an acorn, crediting forgetful squirrels with planting millions of oak trees.

Accidental hero is the best kind of hero.

Norway flag cartoon holding a no smart glasses sign, wholesome news on privacy protection.
Two smiling pink shopping baskets with hearts, about Finland's supermarket baskets that signal singles.

Me, holding a pink basket with frozen pizza and hope.

Grinning cartoon book surfing an arrow in wholesome news about indie bookstores making a comeback.
Happy pizza slice cartoon with arms out, citing studies that comfort food smells reduce stress.

Finally, science I can fully commit to.

Cartoon hand tossing a frowny note in the trash, wholesome news about writing anger down.

I’ll admit my favorite heartwarming stories are about grown adults quietly doing one weird, good thing for decades. A man planting a tree every single day until he had a forest. A retiree with eighteen drones who has found over a hundred lost pets and one escaped cow. I can’t keep a basil plant alive for a week, and these people are running search and rescue.

The fun facts hit differently, too, mostly because they confirm things I already wanted to be true. Sleeping next to your dog is good for you. Squirrels have planted millions of oak trees by forgetting where they put their snacks, which is also how I lose my keys, just with less forest. Add Sweden texting blood donors when their donation saves someone, and that’s faith in humanity restored before dinner.

I think we share this stuff because good news feels like a secret you’re allowed to tell. It doesn’t fix everything, and it isn’t supposed to. It just reminds you that while the loud stuff is happening, somebody somewhere is planting trees, mailing books to kids and flying a drone over a cornfield looking for somebody’s dog.

Somewhere a stranger is doing something kind on purpose, and they’ll never post about it.

Still need a little more sunshine? 21 Happy Memes With Wholesome Vibes And Just Enough Hope picks up right where this leaves off, and 29 Wholesome Memes And Pics For A Much-Needed Mood Reset is the follow-up your blood pressure will thank you for. Doctor’s orders, probably.

Phil M., Co‑Founder & Content Strategist Phil is one of Thunder Dungeon’s co‑founders, doubling as our resident meme analyst and dark‑room brainstormer. He specializes in trend‑spotting across social platforms and shapes the editorial calendar to keep our galleries fresh, topical, and worthy of your valuable procrastination.
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