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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Our first roundup of 2023 includes awesome old folks, toddlers, dancers, marine mammals and more.

music festival, toddler

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 time…

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.

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Getting a medical procedure done can be scary, or at the very least nerve-wracking, no matter how many times you've had it done. It's something that's outside of your normal routine and you're essentially at the mercy of the medical facility and providers. Most of the time, the pre-procedure instructions make sense, and if something catches you by surprise, it's usually easily explained.

Sadé Naima recently had an experience while attempting to get an EEG that wasn't easily explained away. In fact, the entire situation didn't make sense to the TikTok creator who experiences migraines. Naima uploaded a video to the social media platform explaining the sequence of events that happened after her doctor referred her to receive an MRI and EEG.

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That “object” was a 3-year-old boy.

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Cara Nicole/Youtube

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That’s why this video essay created by Cara Nicole (who gives all kinds of financials and sustainability education on her Youtube channel) feels so timely.

In just under twenty minutes, Nicole astutely breaks down how luxury brands like Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Rolex create the fake illusion of wealth through “manufactured exclusivity” and getting free marketing from celebrities and influencers—who often don’t even pay for the products themselves. Meanwhile, most real rich people wouldn’t be caught dead in the flashy brands, and in reality consider them "overrated." But still, the illusion persists. Because advertising.

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