When times are tough, sometimes we need an encouraging voice or uplifting story to help get us through. That’s why we’ve collected a few of our favorite, uplifting, laugh-out-loud stories to bring you comfort, and to remind you that we’re in this together.

Your Daily Dose of Humanity


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"Do you have any different take on that story?"
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Day 1:
A Family That Knows How to Laugh at Itself

Laura Greenberg grew up as part of a gregarious family in Queens, New York. Her upbringing that couldn’t be more different than that of her husband, Carl. At StoryCorps, they told their daughter about those early days — terrible first kiss and all.
Read the full transcript here.


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"If you need me to hold your hand, I'm there."
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Day 2:
A Good Day on NYC Public Transit

Subway conductor Paquita Williams brings extra TLC to the line she runs on New York City transit. Laura Lane, one of her passengers, took her to StoryCorps to remember the day they met.
Read the full transcript here.


Day 3:
Two by Two

Two identical brides. Two identical grooms. Two unique love stories. Hunny and Elliot Reiken reflect on 61 years of marriage.
Read the full transcript here.


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"When I first bought the building, everybody thought that I was crazy."
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Day 4:
Making a Comeback, Brick by Brick, After Katrina

Burnell Cotlon remembers taking a chance: opening a grocery store in New Orlean’s Lower Ninth Ward, where food was not available to local residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Read the full transcript here.


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"She bought me a bra that you blow up..."
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Day 5:
Flight of the Inflatable Bra

As a young woman, Betty Jenkins received a special gift from her mother. She remembers how that gift turned a flight into an experience that she would never forget.
Read the full transcript here.


Day 6:
The Temple of Knowledge

For avid readers, spending a night in a library might be a dream come true. Growing up, Ronald Clark lived in one — a branch of the New York Public Library, to be exact.
Read the full transcript here.


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"We see each other every day, every minute of every day."
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Day 7:
A Three-in-One Package

Sometimes it takes a kid’s perspective to brighten your day, so today we’re bringing you three. These triplets have spent their entire lives together, and shared everything from a birthday to a bedroom.
Read the full transcript here.


To R.P. Salazar, With Love

Rachel P. Salazar and Ruben P. Salazar were living 9,000 miles apart and completely unaware of each other. Then a typo brought them together, and their love story began.
Read the full transcript here.


Clean Streets

Sanitation workers Angelo Bruno and Eddie Nieves worked together for nearly 10 years on the same garbage route in Manhattan’s West Village and became fixtures in the community.
Read the full transcript here.


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"By the time I was in the second grade, everyone was calling me Raymond."
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Facundo the Great

Ramón  “Chunky” Sanchez remembers how teachers at his local elementary school Anglicized the Mexican American students’ names. One classmate proved to be the exception to the rule.
Read the full transcript here.


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"Why are you asking these questions?"
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Why Can’t We Own A Rollercoaster?

Nine-year-old Isaiah Fredericks and his younger brother, Josiah, used their StoryCorps interview to ask their dad, Kevin, some hard-hitting questions.
Read the full transcript here.


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