The ideal airline passenger

Seven-year-old Landon recently flew from his mom's home in Las Vegas, Nevada, to visit his father in Portland, Maine. His mother, Alexa Bjornson, was concerned for her son's safety, so she wrote a note for Landon to give to whoever sat next to him on the plane. It explained how he had high-functioning autism and might often ask, "are we there yet?" She reassured the reader that even if he was nervous during take-off, she'd packed snacks and games to keep him busy. She ended, "If you could find it in your heart to make him feel comfortable and safe, I'd be forever grateful. And she enclosed a $10 bill.

When Landon's plane landed in Portland, his mom received a text message from Ben Pedraza, who sat next to Landon on the flight. When Landon gave him the note, he was glad to help. He told Alexa how he and Landon chatted, and played several games of rock-paper-scissors. They also played video games and cracked jokes. After taking this selfie for her, he said it was a pleasure to help Landon, had donated the $10 to the Autism Society in Landon's name.

A romantic rugby player

Mark Raby, 52, plays on an amateur rugby team in England. They recently got invited to a tournament in Poland, but it coincided with his 30th anniversary, so he planned to stay home and spend the time with his wife Julie. But she told him it was okay to go. He'd be returning ON their anniversary, so she'd pick him up at the airport and they'd go out for dinner or something.

But Mark knew it was an important day to Julie, so he coordinated with the airport and had 30 red roses delivered. After their plane landed, each of his teammates walked out  of the gate with a single rose...handed it to Julie....kissed her on the cheek...and walked off. Mark was the last to deplane, with the 30th rose, and she was wiping away tears even before he gave it to her.

World's largest anniversary card?

On the 150th anniversary of American Independence, the United States received a birthday card from the people of Poland. Today it's preserved in the Library of Congress. The Polish Declaration of Admiration and Friendship was more than a Hallmark moment.

                                                                                                                   Library of Congress
It was presented to President Calvin Coolidge in 1926, partly in gratitude for American aid during the Great War. It has 30,000 pages (extra postage required) which are rich in color, history, pressed flowers, drawings from famous Polish artists, and notes from military and business institutions. It was delivered in 111 volumes, and signed by (are you sitting down?) 5.5 million Polish people.

Camp Fire hero gets "burnt" car

Allyn Pierce is an ICU nurse  at a hospital in Paradise, California. Last year, he risked his life to save his patients from the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in state history. He used his Toyota Tundra to shuttle patients to safety when the fire got near the hospital. He drove back and forth many times. The flames got so close that his doors were charred and his tail lights melted.

When Toyota heard about his heroism, they decided to replace his truck with a brand new Toyota Tundra, but only after they made a few modifications. They added a heavy-duty roof rack, bigger tires, a lift kit, and an on-board CO2 tank. And here's the best part. His charred doors had become like a badge of honor, so they gave the new Tundra a custom paint job to recreate the original look.

It's high time July 4th went to the dogs

For dogs who are sensitive to loud noises, July 4 isn't very thrilling. Fireworks can cause them to cower under a bed or even run for the hills.  As for shelter dogs who don't have homes, they can only cower in their cages until the firework blasts are over. But one shelter has a genius idea to help their homeless pups.

"Calming for Canines" at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control is a new July 4 tradition, proving the kindness is patriotic. Last year, 300 people from the community showed up at the shelter's two locations around Phoenix, Arizona. "It was overwhelming to see how the community responded," said Ben Swan, the shelter's development director.

Another Chick-Fil-A hero

Logan Simmons was working a shift at the Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Hall County, Texas, recently when he heard a distressed mother calling for help from the drive-thru lane. The woman was in the driver's seat of her car, and her 6-year-old son in the back seat had gotten the seatbelt wrapped around his neck. His face was quickly losing color.

When Logan heard the screams for help from the drive-thru window, he jumped out of the window and rushed over to the woman's car. He climbed into the car and used his pocketknife to cut the boy free from the seatbelt. The frantic mother was overwhelmed with gratitude for the teen's fast action.

Running barefoot ahead of a tornado

Megan Parson, 25, is a fourth grade teacher at Celia Hays Elementary School in Rockwall, Texas. Classes had just dismissed for the day when the principal's voice came over the loud speaker, telling students there were tornados nearby and they should assume the necessary safety position against the walls in the hallways.

                                                                                                                             Marni Cohen
As students crouched down with their hands over their heads, Parson knew there were already students outside who were waiting to be picked up by their parents. She tossed off her shoes and rain barefoot ahead of a tornado to warn students and their parents to take cover. She says she did not realize the tornado was so close to the school until she saw the now-viral picture one of the parents took of her safety mission.