Inhale the present, exhale the past.

Now let your breath guide you back to the present moment where peace and mindfulness reside.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of Grateful Gazette 💜

Here’s what to know for Monday:

• A grandmother visits every US National Park with her grandson

• Endangered Red Wolf pups are born in North Carolina

• Scanning the Titanic brings out discoveries

GRANDMA JOY LIVES UP TO HER NAME

Joy Ryan did not see an ocean or mountain until she was 85. Her husband took her on trips to their local fishing hole in the winter, but that was the extent of her travels.

Then one day in 2015, her grandson, Brad Ryan, took her down from Ohio to see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Brad worried about his grandmother never seeing the great wilderness of America and decided to act.

Eight years later, the two have seen all 63 US National Parks. Finally, they finished their odyssey with a 6,700+ mile flight to the National Park of American Samoa.

What a journey.

You may wonder how someone Joy’s age manages to keep up with her grandson on these tricky trails. In an interview with CBS News, she admits she’s blessed with good health, but optimism and the will to do go a long way.

Never underestimate your will to do.

Joy Ryan went whitewater rafting through class 3 rapids at 91. Take on your day with her level of optimism and determination. You won’t regret it.

You may—however—regret going rafting in that class of rapids. Trust me, that adventure is not made for everyone, and that’s okay.

One more thing.

The most touching part of this story is not the hikes or park visits. It’s the connection Brad has made with his grandmother.

Their car rides to the parks are his favorite part. It’s a chance to connect more deeply with someone important in his life.

Find your open road moment to recall memories and share your trials with someone close to you. It doesn’t take a 63-park adventure to make that possible.

🗞 More Good News

🥺 A new litter of endangered Red Wolf pups was born recently

🚀 The new SpaceX mission lifted off and featured a former NASA astronaut

🌾 Compton’s new vertical farm will add produce and jobs to the community

🏫 His small Kansas town helped him get into Harvard

🇬🇷 Hundreds of stolen artifacts are making their way back to Greece

📌 Illinois girl was found six years after disappearing by someone who recognized her on Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries”

☀️ The Bright Side

Did you think there was nothing left to discover about the Titanic? Au contraire, my friend.

New scanning technology crafted a 3D model of the shipwreck that’s so detailed they can read the serial numbers from the propellers. Those details mean we’re all closer to discovering what caused the incident.

You’re rolling your eyes, right? Everyone knows it was an iceberg. 

Sure, but how did that iceberg impact the Titanic? Researchers assumed it scraped the ship for years, but the new model suggests they hit a submerged iceberg that was harder to see.

They even discovered one of the lifeboats didn’t deploy due to a jam in the crank.

We need to get James Cameron on the phone and demand he remakes The Titanic again with the same actors. It’s the proper way to handle these revelations.

It shows that even when we think we know everything, life surprises us.

🧘 A MINDFUL MOMENT

Staying in a positive mental space is a challenge. Getting less sleep is like taking on that challenge with one hand tied behind your back. 

Try these tricks to diminish your electronic devices' role in your bedtime routine.

• Get an alarm clock that’s not your phone or watch (analog is so in right now)

• If possible, leave your phone outside your room at night

• Try to shift from doom-scrolling to reading a chapter a night

• Move your charger to the other side of the room, then leave it there

Electronics tell your body to stay awake

Between the light from your phone and the messages on the screen, all your phone is telling your body to stay up.

You won’t get a restful night the first time you try this, but that’s because going to bed is all about the routine you make. So try to make one that doesn’t involve your electronics. Stick to it for two weeks; if you don’t find it helps, try something new.

Remember, it’s okay if these tips don’t help put your mind at ease. No idea here is a one size fits all scenario.

- Thank you for reading Grateful Gazette. Remember to breathe deeply to bring your mind back to your body 💜