Giving up your lunch hour to read with kids could create a new generation of bookworms.According to a 2007 Department of Education study, only half of low-income fourth graders read proficiently for their grade level. (That's compared to 79 percent of their middle-class peers.) More alarming is that this literacy gap begins at home, before educators even have a chance to help.Enter Everybody Wins, a literacy intervention effort based in Washington, D.C. Its flagship endeavor, known as "Power Lunch," attacks the literacy gap by supplying the positive reading experiences that some children miss out on. The program matches volunteers-mostly working professionals-in participating cities with elementary school children of low-income families. Every week of the school year volunteers spend one of their lunch hours visiting their students at school and reading to them. The goal: Create a positive association with books and foster the motivation that kids need to learn to read. "We're not a tutoring program; we're not a reading instruction program," says Rich Greif, executive director of Everybody Wins USA. "The pure focus of our programs is to get kids enthusiastic about reading."Currently, Power Lunch serves more than 6,000 students in more than 150 schools in 16 states and Washington, D.C. Grief says the continued organic growth of the program, which began in 1991 with five readers at one New York City school, is evidence of its success. There's hard data, too: A 2005 study of the Chicago Power Lunch program found that 64 percent of Power Lunch-ing students in grades 1 through 3 achieved grade-promoting reading proficiency. (Only 38 percent of their nonparticipating peers hit that benchmark.) "That's really the best you can hope for," Greif says, "that they stay on track with their progress and get promoted to the next grade."Photo courtesy of Everybody Wins! USAReturn to the interactive site
Add Good to your Google News feed.
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Juicy subject matter
Giphy from The Blacklist.
We could start a rumor.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.