Prince William comforts boy whose mother died

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, visited a bereavement center called Keech Hospice Care in Lutton, England, to mark its 25th anniversary. There he met 14-year-old Ben Hines. Ben and his three brothers lost their mother a year ago. All four are still struggling with grief.

The Duke lost his own mother, Princess Diana, 20 years ago in a car accident in Paris. He advised the Hines family to stick together through trying times. "I know how you feel," William told Ben. "I still miss my mother every day. The important thing is to talk about it as a family. It's okay to feel sad. It's okay for you to miss her." Speaking after the meeting, Ben's father said, "He gave Ben his absolute attention. He put his hand on Ben's shoulder and told him time is a healer and to stick together and talk."

Do you want fries with that? Or a hug?

For five days a week, ever since 1984, Freia David has spent the lunch rush frying, salting and boxing fries at the McDonald's in Needham, Massachusetts. She always arrives with hugs, leaves with hugs, and sometimes dances in place because she loves her job so much. She has Down syndrome, and always greeted customers with a smile. But recently, after 32 years at the French fry station, 52-year-old Freia showed a few signs of early onset dementia, common in adults with Down syndrome.  It might no longer be safe to work with hot oil, so a few weeks ago, Freia gave notice.

Last Monday, she and her 90-year-old mother, Anneleise David, returned to the Golden Arches one final time, for what the family believed would be a "small retirement party." Instead, the restaurant was packed with 200 customers who had been touched by Freia's endless kindness and smiles over three decades. McDonald's management presented her with a proclamation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, honoring her service. Director of Operations Bob Broughton said, "Her smile, her enthusiasm, her daily hugs made our restaurant more than just a restaurant. It made us part of Freia's family. We love you, we appreciate you, we respect you, and we're all better people for having you in our lives." She received a silver necklace with a McDonald's french fry carton pendant, an assortment of her favorite Disney stuffed animals, and three hours of hugs and high-fives.

"It takes a heap o' livin' in a house to make it home"

In the words of poet Edgar Guest, "Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute. A'fore it's  home there's got t' be a heap o' livin' in it." Few people know this better than Tom and Jean Cheetham of Australia. They moved into their first and only home in Sydney in 1938. There the happy and inseparable couple raised their family and lived contentedly until last year. When Tom was 103 and Jean was 100, they moved together into a nursing home and their beloved house was auctioned to help pay the bills. After 22 bids, it sold for $1.6 million. What made it so valuable?

It's one of very few properties in the neighborhood that was never renovated. It was impeccably neat and tidy, and still featured its original design and decor. From carpets to appliances to the smallest details, it was a pristine, nostalgic glimpse into the past. Heavy with priceless family memories, the sale was bittersweet for Tom and Jean's grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. They all knew that, over the years as Jean grew more frail, Tom gladly took on the housework and gardening. In fact, he was mowing the lawn up to the day they moved out. When asked to give advice about love, he only said couples don't stay together anymore.  But he surely knew that in any marriage, only one person can be perfect, and it's always the one you love.

A double-crumb from a reader in Redlands, CA

FIRST CRUMB: Two young cousins, age 12 and 16, were walking down Brockton Avenue in Redlands, CA, a few days ago when a man approached them. He claimed to have a gun, and made off with the 12-year-old's black Haro BMX-style bicycle with tan walls on the tires. "Obviously it was a sad and frustrating situation t see a 12-year-old boy prayed upon by an adult, and his bike stolen," said Redlands Police spokesman Carl Baker. Officers wanted to right the wrong, and Walmart donates new bikes to the police department for use in bike rodeos. Police surprised the young Redlands boy with one of their donated bicycles, while asking the public for help finding the suspect, described as a Latino in his 20s with a bald head, goatee and tattoos on his neck.

                                                                                                                        Courtesy Photo
SECOND CRUMB: Several days later, Redlands police patrolling the area near Brockton Avenue spotted a 29-year-old man riding the victim's bike. The man admitted he took the boy's bike, and was arrested on suspicion of robbery. The boy was reunited with the bike he lost, and now he had not just one bike, but two. Instead of keeping his replacement bike, he donated it to another child in need.

Humanizing the badge

Three Texas school children who lost their dad earlier this month had special stand-ins for their first day of school. Amarillo police officer Justin Scherlen died earlier this month. His three children, Charity, Taylor and Jackson started school Monday morning. All three attend Coronado Elementary School, and for little Jackson, it was literally his FIRST day of school. So who would take them?

                                                                                                                                  Facebook
More than 20 offices from the Amarillo Police Department showed up to escort the children to class. The officers lined the halls and gave hugs, making the first day of school a little sweeter. The police escort was a complete surprise to the children, but officers were emotional too. Sergeant Carla Burr said, "It hit me at lunch time when we took the youngest one in. They don't get to tell dad about these stories," and I was just bawling." The children's mother, Jessica Scherlen, said her late husband would have appreciated what his colleagues did for the children.

Hoosier Starbucks manager saves customers lives

Last Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., an unexpected tornado touched down in Kokomo, Indiana. Hanna Harris of Muncie (below left) was a customer at the Markland Mall coffee shop and reported on Facebook that "the shift manager came out and told us there was a tornado that had touched down and it was headed this way and we all needed to take shelter in the bathrooms." About 20 customers and staff walked calmly into the bathrooms and stood quietly for several minutes. No one knew how close the tornado was, but cell phones were sounding "take cover" alerts. Then the tornado hit. The vibration and shaking caused everyone to drop to their knees as the entire coffee shop collapsed -- except the two bathrooms, Because of the rubble, everyone was trapped, but safe. Harris added, "If it was not for the manager being aware of the situation, I would not be here writing this post!!!"

                                                   Hanna, Angel, and a another customer.  

She adds that a patron from a nearby Chili's saw Starbucks implode and rushed over with friends, climbed over the rubble, and pried open the bathroom doors, setting the survivors free. Gov. Mike Pence, who visited Kokomo the next day,  called it a miracle that nobody in town was killed or seriously hurt by the tornado. He might be right. The Starbucks manager's first name is Angel.

Have you heard of the Cajun Navy?

Thousands lost their homes in recent flooding in Louisiana. But even before Uncle Sam got to the scene, the Cajun Navy rescued more than 30,000 people from water-logged homes and rooftops. The Cajun Navy first set sail 11 years ago, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. At that time, a local radio station put out a call for anyone with seaworthy craft to meet at a flooded mall. Organizers expected 25 or 30 boats to show up, but more than 350 appeared. Working together, they rescued 10,000 people after Katrina.

                                                                                                             Brett Duke / NOLA.com
After the recent flood, the Cajun Navy didn't just rescue people. It also saved 1,400 pets. Crewmen actually got into the water to assist animals who could not swim to safety. These heroic efforts may only be the tip of the spear this year. According to the Red Cross, hundreds of people from all 50 states have already arrived in Louisiana to help with relief efforts.