There's a lot of sad stories about the state of families, marriages, and society at large out there. It really looks more like a war zone than a civilization.

But sometimes the light shines through. For every horrible poll and depressing story, there are more stories of triumph and love.

Seems like my buddy Dave, who gained internet fame for his current weight-loss journey, needed some of those stories this week, and maybe you do too.

Here were a few of the replies:

Over 3 million people have viewed Dave's tweet, which means y'all are looking for some stories of encouragement in this crazy world. Take heart, because there's more goodness out there than you can imagine.

"Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach." – JRR Tolkien