10 things that made us smile this week
Our first roundup of 2023 includes awesome old folks, toddlers, dancers, marine mammals and more.

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.
Happy 2023, everyone!
We're almost a week in. How are we doing so far? Whether you're crushing your New Year's resolutions, struggling to make new habits stick or are ditching the goal-setting altogether, we hope you're making the most of the fresh energy the new year brings.
If adding more joy to your life is on the docket for 2023, you've come to the right place. We are experts in uplifting and specialize in smiles, and we love to share the best of humanity with you all.
One of the best parts of pulling together these weekly roundups of joy is seeing the wide range of things that make us smile. We've got old folks and wee ones, dancers and doggos, teachers connecting with students and a whole town changing its plans to protect a wandering walrus. Each thing is delightful in its own way, and there's a little something here for everyone.
So kick back, relax and enjoy these serotonin-boosting finds:
1. Doggo's owners have a conversation using all of his favorite words and his joy is palpable.
The tail wagging and the eyebrow raising say it all. So dang cute.
2. Gramps does the cutest 'fit check' with his granddaughter.
@pettitgrace This is my new favorite video ever.
We love this Grandpa. What a joy. Read the full story here.
3. 73-year-old went to his first music festival and lived his best life.
@ayeejayy42 Age is just a number⦠#happynewyear #countdownnye2023 #insomniacevents
Good for him for not letting the number of candles on his birthday cake hold him back. Looks like he had the time of his life.
4. A teacher and an eighth grader faced off in a dance challenge between exams.
Teachers are real-life heroes every day, and Ms. Turner heroically brought it in this dance battle. Love seeing this kind of connection with students. Read the full story here.
5. A British town canceled its New Year's Eve fireworks to let its unexpected walrus visitor sleep.
Thor showed up on a boat ramp in the U.K. town of Scarborough and appeared to need some rest. Residents rallied to protect him until he moved on, including canceling their traditional fireworks display. Read the full story of Thor's visit to Scarborough here.
6. Mom tries to get her toddler to unlock the door after being locked out, and perfect toddler chaos ensued.
@gesikaaaaaa Thank god for tiny humans #bne #lockedout #tinyhuman #mamashelper #breakingin #DoTheSmartThings #toddlercomedy #kidtok
Tiny humans are predictably unpredictable and always good for some entertainment. Read the full story here.
7. Whale watcher in California got an unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime, front row seat to a whale giving birth.
Whale-watching passengers and crew off the coast of Dana Point, California, spotted blood in the water around a gray whale and thought they were witnessing a tragedy. As it turned out, she was birthing a calf, which she then proceeded to show off. Amazing.
8. Ukrainian 'light' dancers wowed the judges and audience in 'America's Got Talent' all-stars performance.
Their story is moving and their moves are impressive. How on Earth did they create those effects? Read the full story here.
9. When one of you wants to snuggle and the other just wants some alone timeā¦
\u201cLeave me alone.. \ud83d\ude02\u201dā Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden) 1672780305
The struggle is real ⦠and adorably hilarious.
10. Let's all enjoy the small wonders of life like this snowflake-catching raccoon.
It's the simple things that bring the most genuine joy, every time.
Hope that brought a smile or 10 to your face! Join us every Friday for these smile-worthy roundups, and if you'd like them delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.
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 informationānot 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 mimicā¦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 theyāve 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 ESLābut 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 donāt 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! Iām 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."