Welcome to the twenty-first edition of the David Begnaud newsletter! This week, we're honoring the people who are doing the unbelievable — those who either stepped up, thought outside the box, or found superhuman strength to bring good into the world.
Here are some unbelievably good stories: the seven-year-old who rallied strangers across America to plant a garden, the restaurant owner using drones to find lost pets in his off hours, and the boy who swam four miles to save his family.
Also, make sure to keep reading to the end for my emotional reaction to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance!
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Courtesy: CJ Mueller
Thanks to Deanna Kuhn for sharing this story with us.
“The Kid Seeding Love”
Seven-year-old Luke Mueller has a pretty ambitious plan for a garden he plans to grow — he wants to plant the best flowers from every state. But instead of just buying them (or, more accurately, getting his parents to buy them), Luke is building a community across the country to share in his mission.
And when his garden is complete, he plans to share it all back.
The Heart
Three months ago to the day, Luke told his mom, CJ — an avid seed-swapper — that he wanted to trade and collect seeds from all 50 states. Specifically, he wanted “the unicorns of the garden, the ones that make people stop and say ‘WOW,’ and the bright-colored flowers to help save the bees.” Luke told his mom that taking care of plants is the best way to care for other people.
Of course, CJ was overjoyed to help Luke with his “mission” and posted in the various seed-swapping Facebook groups she’s part of to see if they could help. The response was overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Within the ensuing weeks, more and more gardeners started sending Luke envelopes of their favorite varieties (including some herbs and veggies), which made Luke very happy.
They felt like tokens of friendship.
Courtesy: CJ Mueller
Courtesy: CJ Mueller
The Journey
Luke hoped to receive all the seeds by his eighth birthday on April 5th… and he’s already done it. He’s well on his way to achieving that goal. He’s received seeds from 46 states and Puerto Rico, and seeds from the remaining four states are already in the mail.
While CJ said Luke plans to do all the planting and tending himself, he isn’t content to keep the results all to himself — he wants to share the joy with his family, friends, and the growing gardening community. So, he started a private Facebook page for his “mission members” so they can “see how good my garden is” and “thank them for all the seeds that they gave me.”
He’s also sending out Valentine's Day cards with some of his extra seeds inside, hoping they'll inspire others to plant their own gardens… and making them the recipients of “wows” and happy honeybees.
Talk about spreading the love.
The Takeaway
It’s inspiring how much Luke has owned this mission for himself (and at just 7 years old!), showing that we all need not only to have patience to watch our dreams grow, but also to invite others into the process so they can share in the triumphs. It’s a simple lesson in joy that we all need to be reminded of every once in a while.
And when Luke’s garden is ready for us to see — which you know we’ll be sharing pictures of in this newsletter down the road — he’ll have made this world an even more beautiful place for us and a more bountiful ecosystem for bees.
The world could use more Lukes.
More Good Stories
☀️ When Nashville-native Kimberly Daft’s insurance company refused to cover the damages to her plant shop from the recent bomb cyclone, it felt like her whole livelihood had vanished. But when over 1,500 community members rallied to cover the claim and help re-stock her store when the story went viral, Daft’s insurance company decided to pay up.
☀️ Restaurant owner Michael Parziale moonlights as a drone-rescue pilot, searching for lost pets in New Jersey to reunite them with their families. So far, he has rescued over 122 animals… and has become beloved by the entire community.
What kind of unbelievable story stops you in your tracks?
The results from last week’s poll are in! Nearly 69% of you said you try to be the helpful neighbor.
Spotlight:
Saved By Faith In Shark-Invested Waters
There are some stories you hear that simply seem unbelievable. The story of how Austin Appelbee swam alone for four hours to get help for his stranded family is one of those stories.
When Austin, his mom, Joanne, and two younger siblings found themselves suddenly drifting miles from the shore at a beach in Quindalup, Australia, they thought their lives could be over. They were on nothing but a kayak and two inflatable paddleboards. Joanne made the hardest decision of her life by telling Austin he had to swim back through shark-infested waters for help — it was the longest of long shots.
But Austin swam and swam and swam, thinking about his family, friends, and Thomas the Tank to keep going. Oh, and he prayed a lot, telling God he would get baptized if he could reach dry land. And eventually, that’s exactly what happened. But Austin still had to run another mile to get to his family’s phone so he could call for help.
Amazingly, Austin’s whole family was rescued. He was so sore afterward that he had to use a wheelchair to move, and he has just transitioned to crutches. Austin might be the strongest kid I’ve ever heard of! Imagine his parents ever being mad at anything he ever does from here on out!
The Big Name In A Small Town
Click image to watch
Our readers from last week will remember this story of a homeless man and his dog who were saved by the kind people of St. George, South Carolina. I thought it was so good that I featured it on this week's Beg-Knows America. I sent my CBS team over there to meet the man and speak with the people in his community who stepped up when he needed it most.
One More Thing…
I was invited to the Super Bowl this year, my first time attending in person. I was grateful for the chance and did not take it lightly.
But the moment that stayed with me did not come from the game.
At the very start of Bad Bunny’s performance, he said something simple and honest: “My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I’m here today at Super Bowl 60, it’s because I never stopped believing in myself. You should believe in yourself, too. You’re worth more than you think. Trust me.”
That landed with me.
My Takeaway: Belief is not loud. It shows up before the doors open and before anyone is clapping. If you are still showing up, do not dismiss that. Sometimes, belief is the whole reason you make it in the room.
Made with love by David Begnaud and the team.
Stories that set your soul on fire.
