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10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy and delight.

joy, uplifting, goodness

@JomBoy/Twitter, Recess Therapy/TikTok

From stellar sportsmanship to corntastic kiddos to adorable animals, enjoy the best of the internet this week.

Wait. Are we really almost halfway through August already? Didn't I just write one of these intros talking about how summer had arrived? What the heck happened???

Time flies when you're having fun, I guess, and these weekly roundups are nothing but fun. Every day it seems like we're bombarded with something new to stress about or be outraged over, but not here. In this space, we celebrate simple joys, awesome humans, hilarious animals and all things smile-worthy.

This week alone, we've seen sportsmanship that inspired us, parenting that touched our hearts and kiddos that tickled our funny bones. Readers have told us they look forward to our 10 things roundup every week, which is good because we have no intention of stopping. (Honestly, it's therapeutic to pull this list together, so win-win all around!)

So kick back, relax and let these 10 little tidbits of goodness carry you through this final stretch of summer.

1. A Little League player comforted the opposing team's pitcher after his errant pitch hit him in the head.

\u201c"Hey, you're doing just great"\n\nOklahoma little leaguer gets hit in the head and then comforts the pitcher who is shaken up afterward\u201d
— Jomboy (@Jomboy) 1660067195

This is some seriously awesome sportsmanship from both of these boys, putting caring and compassion over competition. Love to see it. Read the full story here.

2. Motion-activated home security camera caught this fierce beast on the premises.

\u201cMotion activated home security camera working as intended\u201d
— pups (@pups) 1660117665

It's that head tilt in the last 10 seconds that really makes this video. Such a good doggo.

3. Woody Harrelson wrote a hilarious poem for his random baby look-alike.

See on Instagram

Cora's mom shared her photo alongside Woody's and he not only reshared it on Instagram, but wrote Cora a delightful little poem joking about how he wished he had her hair. What a guy. Read the full story here.

4. Dad's response to his daughter's skateboard crash is a masterclass in awesome parenting.

See on Instagram

The way he asked if she was scared or hurt, the way he balanced empathy with empowerment and how he encouraged her but left the choice totally in her hands … seriously good stuff. "Ultimately I just respond from the heart," he wrote. Stellar job dad.

5. This teeny tiny crab eating a strawberry is just too adorable.

\u201cvery small crab eats Strawbery\u201d
— glurpo (@glurpo) 1660153249

I never thought I'd describe a crab as adorable, and yet here we are. I mean, goodness. Wook at its widdle tiny cwawwwws! Those have to be the tiniest bites of strawberry that have ever been consumed.

6. This young Corn King won everyone's hearts with his corntastic personality.

See on Instagram

I've watched this video at least a dozen times. "Whaaat?! It's just a pun about cowhn!" It's too much. Read the story here.

7. Apparently, it's the 8th anniversary of one of the greatest viral videos the world has ever seen.

Five-year-old Noah Ritter (aka "the 'apparently' kid") gave us such a laugh that even the Newswatch 16 reporter couldn't keep it together. Eight years, and it still never gets old.

8. Duncan the doggo is torn between responding to his owner and keeping his eyes on the neighborhood. (SOUND UP)

\u201cNot now, not now, not now\u2026\n\nWHAT? \ud83d\ude02\u201d
— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden) 1660071355

Goodness knows he was trying hard to be a good boy. Hilarious.

9. Housekeepers going above and beyond in their cleaning duties are the bestest.

See on Instagram

Scroll through to see what hilarity these other cleaners concocted. Love seeing people take pride in their work and take the time to make strangers smile.

10. When the water's colder than you anticipated but you're trying to be cool…

\u201cNope! \ud83d\ude02\u201d
— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden) 1659560746

Ha ha. NOPE.

Hope that brought a smile or ten to your face! Come back next week for another roundup of 10 things that made us smile. (And in the meantime, sign up for The Upworthiest newsletter to get the best stuff right to your inbox.)

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Woman left at the altar by her fiance decided to 'turn the day around’ and have a wedding anyway

'I didn’t want to remember the day as complete sadness.'

via Pixabay

The show must go on… and more power to her.

There are few things that feel more awful than being stranded at the altar by your spouse-to-be. That’s why people are cheering on Kayley Stead, 27, from the U.K. for turning a day of extreme disappointment into a party for her friends, family and most importantly, herself.

According to a report in The Metro, on Thursday, September 15, Stead woke up in an Airbnb with her bridemaids, having no idea that her fiance, Kallum Norton, 24, had run off early that morning. The word got to Stead’s bridesmaids at around 7 a.m. the day of the wedding.

“[A groomsman] called one of the maids of honor to explain that the groom had ‘gone.’ We were told he had left the caravan they were staying at in Oxwich Bay (the venue) at 12:30 a.m. to visit his family, who were staying in another caravan nearby and hadn’t returned. When they woke in the morning, he was not there and his car had gone,” Jordie Cullen wrote on a GoFundMe page.

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A better world begins with a pair of socks–how small acts of kindness create big change

A little comfort goes a long way.

All images provided by Bombas

We can all be part of the giving movement

True

We all know that small acts of kindness can turn into something big, but does that apply to something as small as a pair of socks?

Yes, it turns out. More than you might think.

A fresh pair of socks is a simple comfort easily taken for granted for most, but for individuals experiencing homelessness—they are a rare commodity. Currently, more than 500,000 people in the U.S. are experiencing homelessness on any given night. Being unstably housed—whether that’s couch surfing, living on the streets, or somewhere in between—often means rarely taking your shoes off, walking for most if not all of the day, and having little access to laundry facilities. And since shelters are not able to provide pre-worn socks due to hygienic reasons, that very basic need is still not met, even if some help is provided. That’s why socks are the #1 most requested clothing item in shelters.

homelessness, bombas Socks are a simple comfort not everyone has access to

When the founders of Bombas, Dave Heath and Randy Goldberg, discovered this problem, they decided to be part of the solution. Using a One Purchased = One Donated business model, Bombas helps provide not only durable, high-quality socks, but also t-shirts and underwear (the top three most requested clothing items in shelters) to those in need nationwide. These meticulously designed donation products include added features intended to offer comfort, quality, and dignity to those experiencing homelessness.

Over the years, Bombas' mission has grown into an enormous movement, with more than 75 million items donated to date and a focus on providing support and visibility to the organizations and people that empower these donations. These are the incredible individuals who are doing the hard work to support those experiencing —or at risk of—homelessness in their communities every day.

Folks like Shirley Raines, creator of Beauty 2 The Streetz. Every Saturday, Raines and her team help those experiencing homelessness on Skid Row in Los Angeles “feel human” with free makeovers, haircuts, food, gift bags and (thanks to Bombas) fresh socks. 500 pairs, every week.

beauty 2 the streetz, skid row la Raines is out there helping people feel their beautiful best

Or Director of Step Forward David Pinson in Cincinnati, Ohio, who offers Bombas donations to those trying to recover from addiction. Launched in 2009, the Step Forward program encourages participation in community walking/running events in order to build confidence and discipline—two major keys to successful rehabilitation. For each marathon, runners are outfitted with special shirts, shoes—and yes, socks—to help make their goals more achievable.

step forward, helping homelessness, homeless non profits Running helps instill a sense of confidence and discipline—two key components of successful recovery

Help even reaches the Front Street Clinic of Juneau, Alaska, where Casey Ploof, APRN, and David Norris, RN give out free healthcare to those experiencing homelessness. Because it rains nearly 200 days a year there, it can be very common for people to get trench foot—a very serious condition that, when left untreated, can require amputation. Casey and Dave can help treat trench foot, but without fresh, clean socks, the condition returns. Luckily, their supply is abundant thanks to Bombas. As Casey shared, “people will walk across town and then walk from the valley just to come here to get more socks.”

step forward clinic, step forward alaska, homelessness alaska Welcome to wild, beautiful and wet Alaska!

The Bombas Impact Report provides details on Bombas’s mission and is full of similar inspiring stories that show how the biggest acts of kindness can come from even the smallest packages. Since its inception in 2013, the company has built a network of over 3,500 Giving Partners in all 50 states, including shelters, nonprofits and community organizations dedicated to supporting our neighbors who are experiencing- or at risk- of homelessness.

Their success has proven that, yes, a simple pair of socks can be a helping hand, an important conversation starter and a link to humanity.

You can also be a part of the solution. Learn more and find the complete Bombas Impact Report by clicking here.

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All-female flight crews known as 'Night Witches' bombed the crap out of Nazi targets in WWII

The Germans were terrified of these pilots whose silent planes swooped in like ghosts.

Avgeekjoe/Flickr

The Night Witches were feared by the Germans for their stealth bombing runs.

If you like stories of amazing women, buckle up, because this one is a wild ride.

During WWII, the Soviet Air Force's 588th Night Bomber Regiment flew incredibly harrowing missions, bombing Germans with rudimentary biplanes in the dead of night. The Germans called them Nachthexen—"Night Witches"—because the only warning they had before the bombs hit was an ominous whooshing sound akin to a witch's broom.

The "whoosh" sound was due to the fact that the women would cut the planes' engines as they approached, gliding in stealthily before dropping their bombs. And the Night Witches moniker was fitting, considering the fact that the 588th was an all-female regiment.

Their missions were incredibly dangerous, especially considering how the women were equipped. Most of the recruits were in their late teens to mid-20s, and crew members had to learn how to pilot, navigate and maintain the aircraft so they could serve the regiment in any capacity. They underwent an intensive year of training to learn what usually took several years to master.

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