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10 things that made us smile this week

happiness, joy, delight, uplifting
Apple TV/YouTube, @buitengebieden/Twitter

Looking for a reason to smile? Here are 10 of them.

I know, y'all. This week has been rough. We've got the omicron thing coming around the corner, schools telling parents that today is apparently School Shooting Day on TikTok (but don't panic, even though we don't really know how to gauge if there's any real risk) and this on top of normal holiday season stress. It's … well, it's a lot.

All the more reason we need to look for small joys and reasons to smile today. It's easy to get bogged down in cynicism and negativity, but such things don't serve anyone, and if we're going to make it through these unprecedented times (oh, how I miss precedented times!) we need to maintain some hopeful energy.

While these 10 things won't solve the world's problems, they can help you smile, laugh and delight your way through the weekend.

Here goes:

Doggo loses it when it recognizes its human at the airport.

You can just see the instant of recognition, right? And then that tail wag. And that sweet squeaking. Puppy love at its best.

UPS driver goes the extra mile to congratulate a new mom on his route.

Dallen Harrell noticed he was delivering a lot of baby items to a particular house and decided to leave a message on Jessica Kitchel's doorbell camera. He said he was a new dad himself and wished the family luck with their newborn.

“I just hope everything is going good,” he tells the camera. “God bless, Happy Holidays.”

Kitchel was so touched she shared his message on her Instagram, which resulted in a flood of goodwill and all-around awesomeness. Kitchel's friends and family are buying out Harrell's baby registry and a diaper company is supplying both families with diapers for six months—proof that a little human connection and kindness can go a long way. Read the full story here.

Guinea pigs racing down a ramp. Why is this so delightful? 

I honestly don't know why this video made me grin from ear to ear, but it did. It's like perfectly coordinated chaos. Where are they coming from? Where are they going? Are they on their way to a guinea pig party? Who knows, but so fun.

This Lord of the Rings rap battle with the original cast is unexpected and hilarious.

A rap battle about why The Lord of the Rings is the best trilogy of them all on Stephen Colbert? Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Method Man, Killer Mike and Anna Kendrick all together in one video? Yes, please.

The epic saga of workplace cats, Jean and Jorts, and their overly concerned coworker, Pam. 

Jorts the dumb orange cat and Jean the smart torty.

@throwawayorangeccat/reddit/imgur

Once upon a time there were two cats, Jean and Jorts, who lived in a workplace with a bunch of humans. Jean was smart and Jorts was kind of a dolt, and the drama created around this fact resulted in the most hilarious coworker shenanigans ever told on Reddit. Jorts locks Jean in closets and Pam smears margarine on Jorts, and seriously, you just have to read this one in full. Trust me. Find it here.

This dog really, really, really wanted this very specific stick.

Poor snowman vs. perseverant doggy. Not sure who to root for here, but this is hilarious.

The 'Ted Lasso and The Missing Christmas Mustache' short is pure 'Ted Lasso' delight.

Some of us are missing Ted Lasso's wholesome wisdom, and this Christmas claymation short voiced by the original cast is helping fill that void.

Kind man packed up his grill and a truckload of food to feed tornado-leveled Mayfield, Kentucky.

After a tornado destroyed the town of Mayfield, Kentucky last weekend, Jim Finch decided to do what he could do: "feed the people." Humans helping humans. Love to see it. Read the story here.

Throwback to this hilarious hugging a stranger at the gas station Christmas spirit video.

Mary Katherine Backstrom loves humanity and loves Christmas, and her story about sharing that spirit with random people at the Wawa was a delightful viral sensation. Watch and you'll see why. Her laughter is contagious and the story is hilarious.

When one cockatoo is rocking out and the other thinks it's totally extra.

You simply have to watch this video in its entirety. It's like you can hear exactly what each bird is thinking. Totally different personalities. I laughed out loud like five times.

I hope that made you laugh a little or a lot and brought some much-needed delight to your day. Hang in there and share the joy, friends!

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