With the press of a camera’s shutter button, an instant in time is immortalized. Nowadays, most of us can just reach for our smartphone when we need to take a pic, which means there are more pics today than there ever were before.
Let’s dig in to some of the more powerful pics of the last few months.
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Hard work pays off.
This guy worked for years as a garbage collector in order to fund his dream of going to school. The hard work paid off and he was accepted to Harvard Law School.
Still there.
After the Chernobyl disaster, families were forced to flee, leaving their belongings behind. Thirty years later, these brothers were allowed to return, finding a beloved old toy.
Perseverance.
“Here’s a picture of me after my first ever still life portrait got accepted into an art gallery,” writes this proud artist. Seeing your own work in a gallery must be an incredible feeling.
Heartbreaking.
This Syrian kid isn’t in any trouble but the truth is incredibly sad.
Because they’re so used to having guns pointed at them, they instinctively put their hands up when anything, even a camera, is pointed in their direction.
Ding!
This woman is finally able to ring the bell in her cancer ward after winning her battle with breast cancer. I’ll bet hearing a bell clang never felt so good.
Hearing the heart.
You’re looking at the recipient of a heart transplant along with the parents of the heart donor. You can see the emotions across their faces as they listen to their deceased child’s heart beat once again.
Where there’s a will…
This is Fateme Hamami, a disabled Iranian artist who can’t use her hands to paint. Instead, she uses her feet with incredible results. Cristiano Ronaldo never looked so good!
Starting off right.
This kid’s parents opted to do the right thing and get them vaccinated, against the wishes of one set of in-laws. This is parental defiance done right.
He’s not wrong.
There’s something truly gratifying about seeing the older generation representing progressive viewpoints. This man’s sign made a powerful statement at a women’s march in Pakistan.
Mom strength.
This scene was captured on the Moscow metro. This young mom has her hands full taking care of her two kids as she works as a food courier to make ends meet.
Wave the flag!
You can just see the happiness on the face of this newly-minted U.S. citizen. Her family wasn’t able to throw a big party so they had a smaller celebration at home.
Bittersweet.
These newlyweds got married under difficult circumstances. She has a terminal illness and doesn’t have long to live but she was able to pull off her last wish of marrying her boyfriend.
No more oppression.
You’re looking at the will of the Thai people. After six years of living under a totalitarian dictatorship, the people of Thailand started rising up in an effort to gain more equitable treatment.
It’s all gone.
The world was captivated by a massive explosion that rocked Beirut, Lebanon in early August, 2020. This view from a formerly picturesque high-rise really says it all.
Solidarity.
The Beirut disaster inspired people around the world to show their solidarity. This is City Hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, which has been lit up to show the Lebanese flag.
Nice flex.
After a homophobic president took power in Poland, members of the country’s left-wing party showed their opposition by dressing like a rainbow for the new president’s swearing-in ceremony.
Family.
This 13-year-old was abandoned in a hospital by his adoptive parents. Years later, Peter Mutabaz was finally able to formally adopt him. You can just see the relief on his face.
Bucket list.
Dogs love the beach but not all dogs live near a beach. This 12-year-old mutt was nearing the end of his life so his owner decided to let him experience the beach for the first time.
Last ride.
The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama became a flashpoint for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Here, the hearse of civil rights leader John Lewis can be seen crossing the bridge one final time.
Long time coming.
This pic was posted by the violinist, who notes that this was his first recital back in 2010. While he uses a wheelchair, he hasn’t let it define him.
