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 Wednesday:

• A bride & groom do a special fast food reception

• A Las Vegas neighborhood gets inspired by Pokémon

• An exotic lizard is found in Pennsylvania…in the trash

IT’S A NICE DAY FOR A WHITE CASTLE WEDDING

Picture this: a couple getting hitched in a White Castle, clad in medieval regalia, and saying "I do" over a mountain of sliders.

That's the scene for Jamie West and Drew Schmitt, a duo who certainly know how to make a statement.

Before they were donning crowns and leather armor, though, their relationship was as traditional as it gets—starting a small business together and navigating the highs and lows of life as a team.

On the surface, it feels like the standard admiration for a burger chain best-known as the Mecca for stoners.

But White Castle holds a special place in their hearts.

As a child, Jamie struggled through foster care and ended up homeless.

It was during one of her most desperate times, that a White Castle employee, seeing a girl in need, packed her a bag full of burgers. This act of kindness struck a chord with Jamie and gave her a lifeline in a time when such things were in short supply.

Fast-forward years later, and Jamie and Drew had a plan to storm the castle, when the fast-food chain finally came to Arizona.

This nostalgia was so powerful, that Drew, inspired by the medieval theme, dropped on one knee and popped the question, sword in hand, during a White Castle event. Their wedding even included a White Castle-themed cake.

One moment of kindness led to a lifelong admiration for a restaurant and everything it represents to Jamie and Drew’s journey.

Their love story is a testament to the power of a little kindness, and an unusual, but touching, homage to a fast food chain that meant so much to a girl when she had so little.

It's a reminder that even amidst the sliders and paper crowns, life's greatest moments are often found in the most unexpected of places.

🗞 More Good News

✈️ A Baltimore nurse saves a man’s life during a mid-flight emergency

🦧 An Orangutan taps their enclosure glass in an effort to see a baby

🔥 Charizard Lane is a real street name in this Las Vegas suburb

💼 From lawyer to wrestler, read how this person pushed to live their dream

🧳 Memorial Day travel exceeded pre-pandemic levels, a sign of recovery

📷 A plea of TikTok helped this young woman recover the $3,700 camera she accidentally donated

☀️ The Bright Side

From trash can to top billing, Oscar, a Savannah monitor lizard, got a wild Pennsylvania upgrade.

A delivery driver was cruising through Carlisle Township when he found Oscar chilling in a trash can.

Instead of wasting away in his dumpster condo, Oscar was given a one-way ticket to Speranza Animal Rescue, a nonprofit rehabilitation center. They knew they'd hit the jackpot, despite having no lizard pros on staff.

That lack of expertise earned him an initial nickname, “monster” and the team there decided to help move him to the Venom Institute further down the road.

Rudy Arceo, the Institute's president, said Oscar was slightly dehydrated but looked rather content with a little extra waistline.

Now, Oscar's set to become an animal ambassador after his quarantine vacation. Guess Oscar learned that dumpster diving doesn't compare to life as a lizard VIP.

One lizard's trash really is another institute's treasure, huh?

🧠 Wednesday Wisdom

Your outlook shapes everything around you. 

Today you woke up and opened this newsletter to surround yourself with good news and inspiring moments of humanity. Celebrate that you took that effort. Praise yourself for the simple fact you get to live a full life today.

Finding joy in everyday moments is not easy, but the ability to reframe moments makes a lasting epic.

Celebrate your life today and discover the difference it makes.

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