EMAIL DETAILS

The Optimist from
Gwen Wright endured a harrowing, rootless childhood. Now she’s landed in a place designed to help her son and others avoid meeting the same fate.


<#>

<https://s.washingtonpost.com/1999/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/1/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Stories that inspire


<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=117397&layout=left&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>

<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=135733&layout=marquee&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>

<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=135736&sz=116x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673> <http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=135737&sz=69x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>

Here's to starting 2017 on the right note. Keep an eye on your inbox for a special, best of 2016 edition of The Optimist coming soon. Thanks for reading and happy new year!

<https://s.washingtonpost.com/210f/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/6/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

She was raised in dozens of foster homes. Can she keep her own son out of the system? <https://s.washingtonpost.com/210f/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/7/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Gwen Wright endured a harrowing, rootless childhood. Now she’s landed in a place designed to help her son and others avoid meeting the same fate.

By Jessica Contrera • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/210f/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/8/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

2016 wasn’t all bad. Here are the 11 most inspiring people we met this year. <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2110/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/9/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

As we say goodbye to 2016, it's important to remember the stories of people who showed the very best of humanity.

By Colby Itkowitz • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2110/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/10/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2110/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/11/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2111/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/12/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

A curtain call for the legendary writers, musicians, actors and artists that the world lost this year <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2111/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/13/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

They touched the world in diverse, indelible ways: David Bowie, Prince, Maurice White, Edward Albee, Harper Lee, Leonard Cohen, Florence Henderson, George Michael and Carrie Fisher. the country rock legend Glenn Frey and Beatles' producer George Martin, the joyous rap of Phife Dawg and the self-deprecating styling of Garry Shandling. Zaha Hadid's undulating designs and Merle Haggard's haunting and durable songs. The Washington Post writers gather their thoughts for a final appreciation.

By Victoria Fogg and Washington Post staff • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2111/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/14/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Carrie Fisher’s openness about her bipolar disorder motivated me to talk about mine <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2112/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/15/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Since her death, fans have used the hashtag #InHonorOfCarrie to share their own experiences with mental illness.

By Jennifer Marshall • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2112/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/16/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2112/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/17/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

How George Michael’s Wham! baffled Communist China and inspired its youth <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2113/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/18/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Wham! was the first Western pop band to tour China, and it helped the country's opening to the world.

By Simon Denyer • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2113/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/19/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2113/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/20/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Debbie Reynolds and parent grief: A narrative of love <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2114/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/21/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

People said Debbie Reynolds died of a broken heart. Within the community of bereaved parents, there was a profound sense of understanding.

By Lexi Behrndt • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2114/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/22/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2114/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/23/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2115/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/24/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Here are the best photos of 2016 <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2115/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/25/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Take a look at the most memorable and impactful images of the year.

Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2115/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/26/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

ADVERTISEMENT

<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=117391&sz=300x250&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>

<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=undefined&sz=116x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673> <http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=undefined&sz=69x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>


A mother’s Craigslist plea brings her kids a Christmas they’ll never forget <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2116/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/30/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

A celebrity, along with many others, sent $10,000.

By Michael S. Rosenwald and Theresa Vargas • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2116/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/31/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2116/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/32/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Medical detectives raced to save a man from a rare, ‘universally lethal’ disease <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2117/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/33/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Within hours of diagnosis, a medicine stockpiled only at the CDC was flown to Baltimore to treat African sleeping sickness.

By Lena H. Sun • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2117/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/34/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2117/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/35/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2118/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/36/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

‘The Obamas came from a place we all came from’ <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2118/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/37/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

How the first family reshaped perceptions of the black family in America.

By Wil Haygood • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2118/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/38/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

ADVERTISEMENT

<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=117391&sz=300x250&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>

<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=undefined&sz=116x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673> <http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=undefined&sz=69x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>


How Michelle Obama became a singular American voice <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2119/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/42/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

The heart of the first lady’s efforts was a message about the country’s persistent inequities of race, class and gender.

By Peter Slevin • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/2119/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/43/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/2119/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/44/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

This analytics whiz kid who grew up idolizing the Capitals is now helping coach them <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211a/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/45/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Tim Ohashi, who wrote his first report on the Capitals at age 7, scouts, clips video and provides advanced statistical analysis for Coach Barry Trotz and his players.

By Dan Steinberg • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211a/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/46/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/211a/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/47/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Romania may soon name a little-known woman as the E.U.’s first Muslim prime minister <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211b/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/48/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Romania is dominated by Orthodox Christianity, but it has a long Muslim history as well.

By Rick Noack • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211b/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/49/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/211b/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/50/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

How Vera Rubin changed science <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211c/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/51/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

She toppled astronomy's gender barriers — and cleared the way for countless other women.

By Sarah Kaplan • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211c/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/52/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/211c/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/53/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Some babies die waiting for a liver transplant. This baby was matched in 40 minutes. <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211d/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/54/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

For the 4-month-old boy, “it was really a matter of luck,” his doctor said.

By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211d/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/55/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/211d/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/56/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Terps fan kicks the Kiss Cam up a notch with a surprise marriage proposal <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211e/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/57/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Couple celebrates Kiss Cam engagement at Terps game with a group hug from Testudo.

By Scott Allen • Read more » <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211e/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/58/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>
<https://s.washingtonpost.com/211e/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/59/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>


<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=117398&layout=right&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>

<http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=117402&sz=116x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673> <http://li.washingtonpost.com/click?s=117401&sz=19x15&li=optimist&m=422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb&p=5869278971885010a3d47673>


Share The Optimist: Twitter <https://s.washingtonpost.com/211f/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/63/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb> Facebook <https://s.washingtonpost.com/1741/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/64/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>

Trouble reading? Click here <https://s.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?e=cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D&s=5869278971885010a3d47673> to view in your browser.

You received this email because you signed up for The Optimist or because it is included in your subscription. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here <https://s.washingtonpost.com/19a2/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/66/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>.

We respect your privacy <https://s.washingtonpost.com/19a3/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/67/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here <https://s.washingtonpost.com/10cb/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/68/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb>. Contact us <https://s.washingtonpost.com/19a4/5869278971885010a3d47673/cmhiQHJzcGRjLmNvbQ%3D%3D/69/70/422516d6533dd8dfd54eb38f2f8d39eb> for help.

©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071