+
upworthy
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

This week's roundup of joy includes 1,000 generous knitters, two impressive dancers, a thoughtful magician, a costumed Brendan Fraser and more.

magic, dancing

This week's roundup of joy.

Happy tears are a weird thing, aren't they?

Like, why do humans cry when we're sad and when we're happy? How can something touch our hearts in such a joyful way that our eyeballs start leaking saltwater? (And why does it totally ruin it to refer to crying as "eyeballs leaking saltwater"?)

Scientists don't know exactly why people cry happy tears, but according to VeryWellMind, they have a few best guesses. One is that we cry for balance—to manage our intense emotions or help regulate our body and mood. Another guess is that we cry when we're overwhelmed with happiness because we feel helpless and powerless over our emotions. A third theory is that crying signals vulnerability, which triggers empathy in others, therefore creating a social connection between people.


Whatever the reason, invoking tears of joy is one of our favorite pastimes here at Upworthy. We love it when readers make "cutting onions" jokes because the emotions behind them are pure, genuine and so very, very human.

Some of this week's roundup of joy will make you smile, some will make you laugh and some may just make you cry those happy tears. So have a tissue handy and enjoy!

1. You'll 100% want the sound up for this baby sea lion, I promise.

Be right back, gotta Google how to adopt a dozen baby sea lions.

2. Over 1,000 volunteers finish the knitting projects of people's loved ones who have passed.

Knitting, yarn

The volunteers at Loose Ends finish knit projects and mend broken hearts.

Photo by rocknwool on Unsplash

Two knitters founded Loose Ends, which connects the unfinished knitting projects of loved ones who have died or become disabled with knitters who finish their projects and send them back to their families. The project has more than 1,000 volunteers in 19 countries. Isn't that just so lovely? Read more about this heartwarming project here.

3. Brendan Fraser thrilled moviegoers by showing up to a screening of 'The Mummy' in full costume.

Pure, sweet Brendan Fraser, who couldn't be more endearing if he tried. Read the full story here.

4. This one's for all the introverts who have no interest in being out after 10:00 p.m.

@subradioband

send this to your favorite introvert #fypp #indieband #alternativeband

The indie pop band, Sub-Radio, is behind this bit of parody genius. Read the full story here.

5. A woman helped out a man with some bus money. He surprised her and her son with Eagles tickets.

That kid's face. Too sweet. Read the full story here.

6. Sometimes the seemingly insignificant moments turn out to be the most significant of all.

Childhood is fleeting at every stage, so we have to cherish those moments while they last. Find more of Clint Edwards' musings on parenting here.

7. A magician changed his act so a visually impaired man could experience the magic.

@magickevinli

One of my most memorable performances. There’s always a way to experience magic ❤️ Thanks for having me @Google #magician #kevinlimagic #google

Most magic tricks rely on sight to work, but Kevin Li wants everyone to be able to experience the wonder and surprise of magic. Read the full story here.

8. A heart-to-heart conversation that everyone should have at least once with the people they love.

This is where that tissue comes in handy. Phew. So beautiful.

9. Watch these dancers improvise to a song they didn't know they were going to dance to.

​These two dancers have only danced a few times together and all of that was improvised on the spot. Like, whoa. Very, very impressive.

10. Let's hop into the weekend with the energy of this happy little goat.

Hope that brought a few smiles—and maybe a few happy tears—to your faces!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to see more of them in your inbox, subscribe to our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

True

Implementing simple energy- and water-efficiency upgrades in US households would save nearly $200B per year in residential utility bills.

Unfortunately, these upgrades are often unaffordable or inaccessible for the average US home.

Growing up in West Virginia, my community was largely part of the 1/3 of Americans who can’t afford their energy bills, let alone the efficient home tech upgrades that would make these bills affordable.

This is why Kaitlin Highstreet and I founded Scope Zero, where we created the Carbon Savings Account™, or CSA. The CSA is similar to a health savings account, where employers and employees both contribute funds to the account. With the CSA, the employees use the money for home technology and personal transportation upgrades that reduce their utility bills, fuel spend, and carbon footprint.

CSA-eligible upgrades include everything from Energy Star refrigerators, low-flow showerheads, smart thermostats, and LEDs, to home solar and EVs.

Keep ReadingShow less
via Pexels

A woman sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat

Everyone wants to know how long they will live and there are many indicators that can show whether someone is thriving or on the decline. But people have yet to develop a magic formula to determine exactly how long someone should expect to live.

However, a doctor recently featured on the "Today" show says a straightforward test can reveal the likelihood that someone aged 51 to 80 will die in the near future.

NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar was on the "Today" show on March 8 and demonstrated how to perform the simple “sit to stand test” (aka sit-rising test or SRT) that can help determine the longevity of someone between 51 to 80.

Keep ReadingShow less

Ashley Nicole simply explains companion planting.

Gardening influencer Ashley Nicole (@momjeansandgardenthings) has an easy tip for everyone having a hard time with their plants dying and getting destroyed by pests. It’s a time-honored technique called “companion planting,” where your main crop is surrounded by plants that repel bad insects and attract the good ones.

Nicole founded the blog Mom Jeans and Garden Things, where she shares “tips, tricks, and ideas on ways to grow your own herbal beauty routine.”

“If you’re a beginner gardener and you’re confused about companion planting, this simple formula is going to make everything make sense,” Nicole says in the clip. “There are three main components to companion planting. There’s the main crop … the flower, and the herb.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Image pulled from YouTube video.

Cats for sale.


These mustached Canadians decided to treat older shelter cats like used cars.

Why?

Keep ReadingShow less
Curiosity Show/YouTube

The Ames window trick.

Optical illusions are universally beloved for how they trick our brains and blow our minds. There's a reason we enjoy magic shows and Escher paintings and are mesmerized by fake oases in the desert. We love seeing things that bend our perceptions of reality, and the science behind the magic always proves fascinating as well.

Keep ReadingShow less
via wakaflockafloccar / TikTok

It's amazing to consider just how quickly the world has changed over the past 11 months. If you were to have told someone in February 2020 that the entire country would be on some form of lockdown, nearly everyone would be wearing a mask, and half a million people were going to die due to a virus, no one would have believed you.

Yet, here we are.

PPE masks were the last thing on Leah Holland of Georgetown, Kentucky's mind on March 4, 2020, when she got a tattoo inspired by the words of a close friend.

Keep ReadingShow less

"The Carol Burnett Show" had one of the funniest outtakes in TV history.

"The Carol Burnett Show" ran from 1967 to 1978 and has been touted as one of the best television series of all time. The cast and guest stars of the show included comedic greats such as Tim Conway, Betty White, Steve Martin, Vicki Lawrence, Dick Van Dyke, Lyle Waggoner, Harvey Korman and others who went on to have long, successful comedy careers.

One firm rule Carol Burnett had on her show was that the actors stay in character. She felt it was especially important not to break character during the "Family" scenes, in which the characters Ed and Eunice Higgins (a married couple) and Mama (Eunice's mother) would play host to various colorful characters in their home.

"I never wanted to stop and do a retake, because I like our show to be ‘live,’" she wrote in her memoir, as reported by Showbiz Cheat Sheet. "So when the ‘Family’ sketches came along, I was adamant that we never break up in those scenes, because Eunice, Ed, and Mama were, in an odd way, sacred to me. They were real people in real situations, some of which were as sad and pitiful as they were funny, and I didn’t want any of us to break the fourth wall and be out of character.”

It was a noble goal, and one that went right out the window—with Burnett leading the way—in a "Family" sketch during the show's final season that ended with the entire cast rolling with laughter.

Keep ReadingShow less