
This week's roundup of delightful finds from around the internet.
So, I've been pulling together these weekly roundups of goodness for several months, and I've noticed some common themes emerging in the things that tend to bring us joy:
1. Animals. Always.
2. Children. Kids are often hilarious.
3. Older folks. Our elders have much to teach us about embracing life.
4. The arts. Few things universally bring people together like enjoying creative expression.
Practically every "10 things that made us smile this week" post so far has been dominated by these categories, with zero intention for that to be the case. And this week's list is no exception. Animals, kids, elders and arts. That appears to be where most of our small daily joys can be found.
I'm sure we could delve into the deeper reasons for each of those things, but do we need to? Nah. But if people are looking for a quick shot of happy hormones, perhaps that's where they should be looking.
Thankfully, you can find those things right here, every Friday. I truly hope you love this week's collection of smileworthy, joyworthy, delightworthy tidbits from around the internet. Enjoy!
5-year-old gives his mom advice for overcoming nerves. It's both adorable and spot-on.
Twitter user @EPrecipice shared an exchange she had with her son, and it's the best. Click the side arrows to scroll through and see his advice. Totally going to steal "I am brave of this meeting!" "Don't put a skunk on a bus" seems like a solid bit of wisdom. And I'm definitely going to start thinking about the donuts of my day whenever I'm feeling down.
Seven seconds of the world's most adorable kitten.
literally everyone needs to see this videopic.twitter.com/8v71gwqMxr— Qwobby (@Qwobby) 1643139633
They're right. Literally everyone needs this.
Golden retriever meets new puppy and offers it a gift.
@thegoldenbros3 when your parents get you a best friend 🐶🥺✨🤍 #fyp #dogsofttiktok #puppylove #puppiesoftiktok #SimsSelves #fypシ #goldenretriever
Doggone it, this is cute. When big doggo gives little puppo the stuffed toy? Stop it. It's too much.
Life is hard, and so we dance.
The situation with my mom (cancer and heart) and my dad\u2019s (Parkinson\u2019s and dementia) health has been making me so sad. I wish I could be with them right now. So my sister sent a video of them together tonight, dancing to Neil Young. Take a moment to love your loved ones.pic.twitter.com/y2fBu26NlP— Holli (@Holli) 1642899068
It's the little things. And the love. Just beautiful.
Seniors enjoy some childlike thrills with an indoor inner tube ride.
We all need fun in our lives, regardless of our age or stage in life. How delightful that these residents of the StoryPoint Saline retirement community are getting this kind of care. Read the full story here.
The Gardiner Brothers step dancing to Queen is thoroughly enjoyable. (SOUND UP)
Meet the @Gardiner_Bros again.pic.twitter.com/WEXqslT3Xg— Don Winslow (@Don Winslow) 1643160537
What is it about the sound of tapping that's so satisfying? Follow these five-time world champion Irish dancers, Matt and Mike Gardiner, here for more awesome performances.
The #BettyWhiteChallenge has raised more than $12.7 million for animal welfare.
Fans of Betty White wanted to do something special for what would have been her 100th birthday, which prompted a grassroots challenge to raise money for animal shelters and rescues in her name. Meta announced that more than $12.7 million was raised just through Facebook and Instagram donations alone. Read the story here.
World-class pianist regains the ability to play after 20 years, thanks to bionic gloves.
Just watching his face as he plays tells the story. So beautiful. Technological innovation can be life-changing.
Woman interviews animals with a tiny mic and it's oddly entertaining.
Maya Higa's "tiny mic interviews" have become a hit on YouTube and it's easy to see why (once you get through the disclaimers at the beginning—you can skip the first minute with the understanding that these are rescued animals in a sanctuary, not pets). Who knew a porcupine made that noise? Read the full story here.
Kid really, really, really loves komodo dragons, even though "they eat people."
This video is never not hilarious. His fascination with komodo dragons is just so wholesome (despite the whole wanting to see one eat a person thing).
Hope that made your day! Check back in next Friday for another roundup of the internet's most delightful finds.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.