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    Reader's Digest Magazine
    Knowledge

    Inspirational Stories

    Reader’s Digest has the stories to lift your spirits and fill you with hope in your darkest moments. We’ve promised to be a source of joy, and these stories deliver. From everyday heros to reunited long-lost siblings, we’ve got the stories to inspire you.

    This Sixth-Grader Brings Joy to Seniors One Wish At a Time

    "If you could have any three things, what would you want?”

    One Student Taped a Dollar on the Whiteboard After He Found It on the Ground—Then the Money Started to Multiply

    High school students have a lot more power than they may realize.

    5 Things We’ve Learned About the Impact of Kindness from 10 Years of Anti-Bullying Work

    A little bit of kindness really does go a long way.

    20 Real-Life Heroes That Are Changing the World

    There is still a lot of good in this world.

    This Carpenter Built Memorials for Victims of Violence—Then Tragedy Struck Close to Home

    A carpenter’s memorials have appeared after 
countless tragedies around the country. 
This time, the tragedy...

    After Saving a Man’s Life, These First Responders Returned to His Home to Finish a Project He Couldn’t

    They saved his life—and then his lawn!

    How a TV Doctor Saved the Life of a Man with Special Needs

    A man with cerebral palsy was determined to 
meet the star of his 
favorite medical...

    The Important Reason a Father Hired the Man Who Supplied His Daughter with Heroin

    The boss had every reason to 
turn his back. Instead, he befriended 
a troubled man—and...

    I’ll Have This Scar for Life—Here’s Why I Refuse to Cover It

    For this writer, a scar is a badge of honor, not something to be ashamed...

    17 Reasons My Favorite Teacher Changed My Life

    It only takes one person to make a difference in the life of another—and teachers...

    I Got Run Over By a Truck and Died—10 Months Later I Ran a Half Marathon

    She spent three months in the hospital 
after a horrific bike accident. Almost dying 
is...

    A Five-Year-Old Died from Cancer—But Not Before Writing an Unforgettable Obituary

    “Funerals are sad. I want five bouncy houses.”

    One Town’s Entire Police Force Stepped Up to Help Care for a Premature Baby

    They called it "the cuddle watch."

    After Seeing a Tourist Die from Dehydration, This Avid Hiker Now Climbs Over 2,000 Feet a Day to Hand Out Free Water

    When Mother Nature’s dangerous 
heat sneaks up on unaware hikers, this 
resourceful local comes to...
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    A Blind and Deaf Passenger Couldn’t Communicate with the Flight Attendants—Then a 15-Year-Old Girl Stepped Up

    When she heard, “Does anyone on board know American Sign Language?” over the loudspeaker, she...

    After a Salon Turns Away a Physically Challenged Woman, a Stranger Makes a Beautiful Gesture

    "She’s a girlie girl. She wants to look pretty. So why can’t she?"

    How One Proud Man Saved the City of Detroit from Becoming Abandoned

    He fought to save his city, 
and a movement followed him.

    A Car Was Teetering on the Edge of a 50-Foot Drop When Strangers Stepped in to Help

    One sudden move by the occupants of the car would send it over the edge.

    13 Times Fortune Cookies Literally Changed People’s Lives

    That fortune can be surprisingly accurate—or incredibly beneficial: Check out these amazing stories of fortune-cookie...

    27 Amazing Miracles in Real Life

    From simple everyday joys to amazing new leases on life, readers share their most poignant...

    10 Amazing Restaurants That Hire People with Disabilities

    These restaurants are making the world a more inclusive place.

    A Town Was Engulfed in Flames, but One Church Still Stands Today

    It really is a miracle that people can still worship here.

    This Kid Fights Hunger and Homelessness—and He’s Only 4 Years Old

    This four-year-old boy discovered that compassion for the less fortunate can produce superhuman results.

    Two Bikers Discovered an Abandoned Dog—What They Did Next Saved His Life

    When Jarrett Little and Chris Dixon were biking outside of town, they saw something they...

    10 Nicest Things Strangers Have Done to Say ‘Thank You’ to Veterans

    You can't help but smile (and maybe shed a tear) at some of the heartwarming...