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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

dancing, dad and baby, woman in dress
@calebrownnnnn/Instagram, Lawrence Crayton on Unsplash, Gym Tan/TikTok

Fabulous dancing, the joys of parenting, ageless fashionistas and more

Smiling is the universal language of joy—an involuntary response and innate human behavior that starts when we are wee babes, long before we're able to talk.

Research shows that children smile on average 400 times a day, but that dwindles to only 20 times a day for an average adult. Even particularly happy adults only smile around 40 times a day, so it seems we could all use a few more reasons to smile!

We've got 10 rounded up here for you, from a sweet love story between two lonely geese, a hilarious hammerhead shark prank, a mom with the patience of a saint and more.

So take a few minutes to revel in the joy and share with some other smile-deprived grown-ups in your life.

1. Professor's grad students surprised him with a silly response to his 'irrational fear' of hammerhead sharks.

Usually, it would be considered unkind to taunt someone with their fears, but this kind of hilarious exposure therapy might just be healing. At the very least, it's heartwarmingly entertaining. Clearly, these students love their teacher.

2. A soon-to-be dad asked parents to share their favorite parts of parenting. The responses were beautiful.

All Harris Fanaroff was hearing was horror stories of parenting, so he asked for the brighter side. Parents delivered, big time. Scroll through to see some of the sweetest responses and see more of what parents shared here.

3. Ever seen a bunch of parrots get tucked into bed with kisses and a bedtime story?

"I love you, my bebeees!!!" Talk about a bond. Read more about Johan Devenier and his macaw babies here.

4. Two lonely geese found a second chance at love through a singles ad.

two geese swimming

What's good for the good is good for the gander…

Upworthy

Geese mate for life, so what happens when they lose their mates? You gotta read this one to see how Frankie and Blossom met and how they took to one another after a blind date. Read their full love story here.

5. This tattoo is proof of the power of tea at grandma's house.

Sometimes the simplest things turn out to be the most meaningful. What a sweet way to honor Grandma.

6. People are loving the way this mom handled her son's bedtime meltdown.

Every parent has been there, and it's so hard to stay calm, cool and collected—AND clear AND firm AND loving—all at the same time. But this mama pulls it off beautifully, and the fact that the little guy is able to articulate his feelings so clearly is a testament to his parents.

7. A 62-year-old fashionista is inspiring older women on TikTok with her sense of style.

@californiaistoocasual

#stitch with @oliviaamcdowell can’t wait for us to twin when I visit nyc 🫶 #abercrombie @Abercrombie and Fitch #abecrombiefind #abecrombiehaul

As she says, "Style has no age." Love it. See more of Gym Tan and her fabulous fashion sense here.

8. Friends threw an epic party for their friend who got her U.S. citizenship.

@mias_memories

2.25.23. Congrats on getting your citizenship @sharonlin118 #fyp #usa #costumeparty #merica #fypシ

What a fun way to welcome someone to officially becoming an American citizen. Read the full story here.

9. Watching foxes hunt in the snow is as fascinating as it is entertaining.

The fact that they can hear the creatures burrowing under the snow is pretty sweet, but watching them do their leap and dive is hilariously impressive.

10. Dance your way through the weekend with the smooth moves of this guy and…himself.

No idea how he did it, but it's impressive!

Hope that gave you a few reasons to smile! Come back next week for more, and if you'd like to get these posts delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our free email newsletter here.

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Cargill
Cargill
Sponsored

Women working in Africa’s cocoa farms have received business education programs for 15 years. Here’s how that benefits the entire world.

All images provided by CARE & Cargill

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers

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Cocoa, the key ingredient found in your favorite chocolate bar, has been a highly revered food product throughout human history. It’s been used for religious ceremonies in Peru, royal feasts in England and France, traded as currency for the ancient Mayans. And considering that many of us enjoy chocolate on a regular basis (mochas and candy bars, anyone?) it seems like that love is still going strong even today.

And if you are someone who looks forward to that sweet chocolate pick-me-up on a regular basis, you likely have the women of West Africa to thank.

Women like Barbara Sika Larweh, a mother of six who works as a cocoa farmer in Larwehkrom, a community located within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana.

care, cargillMama Cash now empowers other women to gain independence

Nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where Barbara and other mothers make up over half of the labor force. These female cocoa farmers shoulder the same physical burden as their male counterparts—all while also running households and paying for their children to go to school. And yet, they typically don’t receive equal income. Nor do they have access to the resources that could help them achieve financial independence.

Thankfully, positive changes are taking place. Barbara’s story exemplifies the impact of programs offered by CARE and Cargill, such as Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which are small groups that offer low-interest loans to individuals living in poverty, helping them to build savings without going into devastating debt.

Through these initiatives, women, like Barbara, are equipped with vital knowledge like financial literacy to improve household incomes, sustainable agriculture practices that improve yields, and nutrition education to diversify their family’s diets.

“They came and trained me on the VSLA. I dedicated myself and volunteered so that I would be able to train my people, too,” Barbara explains.

Within the first year of using the programs, Barbara and the people she trained profited—earning her the nickname of “Mama Cash.”

This is no isolated event. In cocoa-growing communities supported by CARE and Cargill programming between 2019-2022, the number of households living below the national poverty line decreased by nearly 32% in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana - as a direct result of increasing and diversifying income through using these programs.

Like Barbara, who today is an executive member of the Community Development Committee, more than 2.4 million women have used their success as entrepreneurs to transform into leaders and decision-makers within their communities. Whether it’s giving most of their earnings back to their families, reducing child labor, or exponentially increasing overall farm yields, the rippling effect is profound.

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers. The joint initiatives have fostered progress on complex global issues related to social justice, such as gender equality, climate change, and food security. By improving access to quality nutrition, water, and hygiene, the joint programs have positively influenced the cocoa communities’ well-being.

Suddenly there’s a lot more to think about the next time you eat a candy bar.

Find out more about the important partnership between CARE and Cargill here.
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