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10 things that made us smile this week​

10 things that made us smile this week​
@TeesePeese/Twitter, Upworthy/Instagram, @Thund3rB0lt/Twitter

Hey, everyone!

It's that time of the week again, where we round up some snippets of delight to lift people's spirits and bring a smile to their faces. Think of it as a hit of endorphins giving you that natural high we all crave, and a reminder that no matter how bleak things may feel at times, simple things can bring us great joy.

I dare you to go through this whole list and not smile once. (Nah, just kidding. Revel in this joy, friends. Laugh out loud if you feel compelled. Share it with friends. We all need more of this in our timelines.)

Enjoy:

You know an animal feels 100% safe with you when she brings you her babies to snuggle.

Say it with me: "Awwwww!" Too sweet.

Hello, brand new, unbelievably adorable human getting a bath! 

Stop it right now. This is too much dopamine to handle.

The mesmerizing joy of a bunch of dachshunds chasing around a big blue ball.

"Chasing" the ball isn't exactly right. It's more like they're pushing it, or maybe carrying it? Or it's carrying them? I'm not even sure, but doggone it, this is what living your best dachshund life looks like. And shout out to the random dalmatian there too.

Doggo gets caught messing around in the sink, then tries to play it cool.

"Are you doing dishes? I hope so." Hilarious. It looks like this dog forgot it was a dog for a minute.

Mom recorded his son's daycare pickups for five years and OMG the cuteness.

The instant grin. The squeal of delight. The throwing his hands in the air. This is a boy who adores his mama. Read the full story here.

This 17-year-old created a free app that makes Disney+ movies more accessible for deaf children.

Mariella Satow spent much of her pandemic downtime creating an app that lets young kids who aren't able to read subtitles or closed captions enjoy children's films. SignUp is a free Chrome extension that provides a pop-up window with a sign language interpreter on Disney+ films, filling a gap in the deaf community. Not too shabby for a 17-year-old. Read the full story here.

Dogs coordinate to save their owner when he collapsed on a mountain trail. 

A 71-year-old man was walking with his dogs on a mountain summit in England when he collapsed from an apparent seizure and fell unconscious. One of his dogs, a black lab, ran after a walker who had passed them a few minutes before and barked to get her attention. She followed, found the man with his golden retriever lying by his side and called emergency services. Amazing. Read the full story here.

Simple human connection and kindness always wins the day.

An Uber driver stopping by his house to procure some comfort food for someone who was missing home? More of these stories all day long, please. (Be sure to swipe and see the second slide. Beautiful.)

Native Americans created a way to have powwows safely during the pandemic

If you've never been to a native powwow, you're missing out. The beauty and energy of these festive celebrations of Native American culture are wonderful to experience firsthand, but the pandemic has put a damper on such large, in-person gatherings. A Facebook group called @SocialDistancePowwow has brought together thousands of people through song, dance and art—definitely something to check out during Native American Heritage Month.

This is the coolest trick-or-treater ever. 

Casually driving up, taking just a little candy (with no one watching—way to go, parents), putting it in the trunk, singing a little song to himself, backing up into a three-point turn and driving away? It does not get any smoother than this.

Come on, now. That worked, right? Totally brought a smile (or several) to your face? The daycare pickup kid alone is good for at least five smiles.

Join us next week for another happy things roundup, and enjoy your weekend!

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