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She leaps with her eyes shut, beaming with delight — this young girl, enveloped by gang turmoil in her neighborhood in Haiti. The game of jumping rope she engages in evokes a joy within her that her dire surroundings cannot extinguish.
Across the globe, countless individuals — facing myriad situations — yearn for such joy. Yet, in a world beset with anguish and upheaval in 2024, these feelings might be elusive and difficult to acknowledge.
First-graders participate in a traditional ceremony marking the beginning of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on September 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)AP
Palestinians affected by the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip engage in play at a temporary camp in Rafah, January 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)AP
A woman enjoys swinging at Venao Beach in Pedasi, Panama, on July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)AP
A woman arrives at a park with a gift basket for her friend’s birthday celebration in Kampala, Uganda, on November 24, 2024. (AP Photo/David Goldman)AP
Life speeds by, leaving its impressions. It appears that occasions of joy and amazement must often be highlighted before they vanish. This series of photographs by AP photojournalists does precisely that.
For every disruptive news piece globally, there may be an equal instance of joy or wonder. However, because news portrays the extraordinary, commonplace moments can sometimes be overshadowed by the flurry of events.
These images, when viewed collectively, intentionally seek to seize that joy and enchantment, refining and preserving it in a concentrated essence — reminding us that even amidst dark times, it still exists.
Inhabitants cool off in a dam on the Unda River, prior to World Water Day, in Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia, on March 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)AP
Some images, like that of the young girl from Haiti and the picture of displaced Palestinian children at play, illustrate that even amid tough journeys, individuals can find relief. Others, such as the shot of a coca vendor in a legal market in Bolivia, reveal that smiles can shine through at any moment.
A coca vendor operates at a legal coca leaf market in La Paz, Bolivia, on April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)AP
Icelandic horses frolic at a breeding farm in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, on March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)AP
A child plays at the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, during the first day of Eid al-Adha on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)AP
Some scenes, like the youths performing a street dance in a favela of Rio de Janeiro, illustrate that exuberance knows no limits and will always manage to emerge. Others depict the very joyful imprints of humanity — such as the heart-shaped footprints left in the snow-covered rugby field in Chile.
Footprints form a heart shape on a snow-blanketed rugby field in Santiago, Chile, on May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)AP
Aerial view of The Rink at Rockefeller Center from multiple stories above, on November 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)AP
Family and friends prepare a quinceañera, fussing over her before her photo shoot at Colon Square in the Zona Colonial district of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)AP
Patterns, blown kisses, celebrations of equality, graceful skaters, carefree children playing, a motorcyclist against a stunning sunrise, or even a reveler enjoying immersion in a pool of crushed tomatoes — these images, collected globally, provide a remedy for much of the negativity present throughout 2024.
A member of the Ukrainian Jewish community showcases his dance moves during Purim festivities and a community meal at the Great Choral Synagogue in Kyiv, Ukraine,
March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)AP
A cyclist ascends a hill as dawn breaks in Frankfurt, Germany, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)AP
Beverly “Cookie” Grant expresses her delight at the Fanflashtic event, a working replica of one made at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, at the Museum At Bethel Woods, June 14, 2024, in Bethel, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)AP
They convey that joy and enthusiasm can arise in various circumstances, even in some dire ones. In doing so, they suggest that, at any instant, those positive sentiments may be within reach for us, too.
Maijuna youth Arely Riategui beams while lounging in a hammock within her residence in Sucusari, Peru, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)AP
Annika and Moritz share a warm embrace as passersby stroll by in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)AP
A woman dances while taking part in a procession to celebrate Falgun Mahotsav before Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Hyderabad, India, March 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)AP
Young individuals perform a street dance known as passinho for their social media platforms, in the Rocinha favela of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)AP
Isaac Young, 5, rests his cheek against the family horse Rusty’s forehead while completing farm chores prior to homeschooling, Nov. 12, 2024, in Sunbury, Ohio. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)AP
A Murui farmer chuckles while heading to gather bananas on her farm situated along the proposed path of a federal highway planned from Iquitos to El Estrecho district, Centro Arenal, Peru, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)AP
Leonila Arucan, an educator, clad in dried banana leaves, takes part in the mud festival outside the church of Saint John the Baptist at Bibiclat, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)AP
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Ted Anthony, head of new storytelling and newsroom innovation at The Associated Press, often writes about photography. Follow him at http//x.com/anthonyted
