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10 things that made us smile this week

10 things that made us smile this week

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.

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.

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)

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.

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What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

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If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

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18-year-old took her college savings and bought the restaurant where she was a dishwasher

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Eighteen year old Samantha Frye has traded college life for entrepreneurship, and she has no regrets.

Frye began working at Rosalie's Restaurant in Strasburg, Ohio at 16 as a dishwasher, working up the ranks as a kitchen prep, server, then line cook. All while working a second job, sometimes third job.

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She is simply the best.

The explosive, soulful, magnetic Tina Turner has died at 83. Though the cause of her death was not disclosed, a statement on her Instagram announced that the prolific singer and legendary live performer has passed away at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich.

News of the devastating loss has prompted an outpouring of tributes on social media, including celebrities sharing how much Turner’s work has influenced them.

Angela Bassett, who portrayed the music icon in the 1993 biopic “What's Love Got to Do with It,” said in a statement that she was "honored to have known Tina Turner."

"Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the course in her life, no matter the sacrifice, and her determination to carve out a space in rock and roll for herself and for others who look like her," Bassett wrote on Instagram, "Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion, and freedom should look like."

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13-year-old uses a slingshot to rescue his little sister from being abducted

He had two projectiles and both hit the suspect, forcing him to drop the little girl.

Owen Burns, 13, rescued his sister from a would-be abductor using a slingshot.

A parent never wants to imagine what would happen if their child were confronted with someone meaning them harm. We do everything in our power to mitigate the risks of things like that happening, but scary situations still occur that can leave a family irreparably broken.

A Michigan family had an extremely close call when their 8-year-old daughter was nearly abducted while playing in their backyard. The little girl was outside picking mushrooms when a 17-year-old boy picked her up with his hand over her mouth. Owen Burns, 13, was inside playing video games when he heard his sister scream. A lot of kids in his situation may not have known what to do, but Owen quickly jumped into action.

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Even in today's world women are deemed unfit for positions of power because some men actually believe they won't be able to handle stressful situations while mensurating.

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Editor's Note: Upworthy earns a fee for products featured in this article. All products featured meet Upworthy's standards for ethics and quality.


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