As if a Canada goose named Arnold isn't endearing enough, his partner who came looking for him when he was injured is warming hearts and having us root for this sweet feathered couple.Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Massachusetts shared the story on its Facebook page, in what they called "a first" for their animal hospital."We often have people ask if they can visit the patients they dropped off, but today we had our first animal visitor!" they wrote. "For the safety of our patients we do not accommodate visitation requests, but in this case we had to make an exception!"Arnold is a Canada goose that lives on a pond near the facility and is part of a mated pair of wild geese that have been together for several years. The center said the geese usually keep to themselves, but one of their staff noticed that Arnold was walking with a "significant limp" and kept falling over. They were able to capture him and bring him into the hospital for examination."Upon exam our veterinary team found that he had two open-fractures on his foot," they wrote. "This means that the tissue and skin has been pulled away leaving the bone exposed. Our best guess is that a Snapping turtle or other predator attacked him while swimming."To save his foot and help him survive, the staff knew they had to amputate one of the digits and suture the other wound closed. They gave him antibiotics and pain meds and prepped him for surgery the following morning.Then his mate came knocking."Today, as we prepared to sedate Arnold and get him ready for surgery, we heard a faint tapping at the clinic door," the center wrote. "We turned to see that his mate had waddled up onto the porch and was attempting to break into our clinic! She had somehow located him and was agitated that she could not get inside. She remained there throughout the entire procedure, watching us work, never moving from the doorway."Aww.Surgery went well, and once Arnold woke up the staff decided to let him recover by the doorway so he and his mate could see each other."We opened the door and gave Arnold his flow-by oxygen in the doorway. His mate immediately calmed down and began to groom him through the door. They both seemed much more at ease in each other's presence."AWWWW."Arnold will likely need several weeks of treatment in our hospital before he is ready to rejoin his mate in the wild," they added. "He will need to be kept inside for the majority of this time in order to keep his wound sterile and prevent infection. We will do our best to get him back out quickly and will perform bandage changes and treatments in view of the doorway when possible so that his mate can check up on him. ❤️"While attempting not to anthropomorphize too much, it's so sweet to see animal partners show such genuine care for one another. Canada geese mate for life, and they are known to mourn in seclusion when they lose a mate. Seeing Arnold's mate coming to find him and comfort him during his treatment is just too lovely.Feel good story of the day, indeed. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Arnold!This article originally appeared on 07.22.21

Christopher Grady, a father and teacher from Toronto, was struggling with anxiety and depression. That's when he started drawing.He describes his early cartoons and illustrations as a journal where he'd chronicle everyday moments from his life as a husband, elementary school teacher, and father to two kids."I needed a positive place to focus all my thoughts and found that when I was making comics I felt a little bit better," he says.He began putting a few of his comics online, not expecting much of a response. But he quickly learned that people were connecting with his work in a deep way.The comics series called Lunarbaboon was born, and the response to the first few was so powerful that Grady was inspired do more with his comics than just document his own experience."I began getting messages from many people about how they connected to the comics and it gave them hope and strength as they went through their own dark times," he says. "When they look back…they probably won't remember what was said…or where you were when you said it. They may not remember any details of your time together. But they will remember that you were there…and that's what matters most.""Usually the circle of people we can support, help, influence is limited to our families, friends, coworkers, random stranger at the bus stop, but with my comic I suddenly found my circle of power was much much larger," Grady explains. "I guess I decided to use this power for good."Grady continued to draw, making a point to infuse the panels with his own special brand of positivity."Kids are always watching adults and they look to the adults as role models," he says. "I try to show (my kids and students) that even with all my flaws and weaknesses I am still a good person and I can still make a positive change in the world."Lunarbaboon comics tackle huge, important subjects with an effective, lighthearted touch that you can't help but smile at.Check out Grady's take on teaching his son about consent. (All images by Christopher Grady/Lunarbaboon, used with permission.)Here's one about parents being supportive of a gay son or daughter.On raising girls in a patriarchal world.And here's a sweet one about appreciating the heck out of his wife.Big topics. Important issues. Grady tackles them with humility and ease.As Lunarbaboon has continued to grow, Grady says the messages of support he gets have become increasingly powerful.He certainly doesn't claim to have all the answers to all the complexities of parenting, but he does say that "people like knowing they aren't alone in life's daily struggles. Most people who contact me just want to say thank you for putting something positive into the world."Grady doesn't expect his Lunarbaboon comics to fix rape culture or end bigotry. He just hopes his message of love, inclusion, and positivity continues to spread."My hope is that for the short time people read it they smile and feel good," he says. "Then I hope they take that good feeling and smile into the world and make it slightly brighter."You can check out even more of Grady's awesome work over on his website or in his newly published book.This article was originally published on 11.30.17

Even though he was born "Katherine Elizabeth," Skylar lived like a regular little boy for most of his childhood.He was happy.This is Skylar.But when puberty hit, he started feeling intense pressure to be "normal" and fit in. So he tried to present as more traditionally "feminine."But he couldn't shake the feeling that he was denying a huge part of himself. Late in high school, he started taking testosterone.Skylar started feeling more comfortable immediately. And before he knew it, he was at his "dream school," having the time of his life. And taking lots and lots of pictures of himself.Access to medical care played a big part in Skylar becoming the person he is today, but that wasn't all. Check out his story and walk five years in his shoes. It's definitely a perspective we don't see often enough:This article originally appeared on 08.30.14

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