10 things that made us smile this week
This week's list includes some adorable animals, some delightful dancing, and a beautiful example of human connection.

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.
It's officially December—can you believe it? That means 2022 is almost a wrap, which is wild. I mean, wasn't it just 2020?!?
For many people, December is the season of joy and giving and holiday gatherings, but it can also be a lonely or stressful time for some of our fellow humans. Family isn't a source of comfort for everyone, unfortunately, and challenges with relationships or finances can make for a difficult December. As we reflect on the past year and prepare for the new one, let's all commit to treating one another with an extra dose of kindness.
Let's also remember to celebrate small joys as the days get colder and shorter, like the coziness of a cup of hot cocoa, the sweetness of a child's laughter or the companionship of our furry friends. It's often a large collection of little things that add up to a good life, and thankfully, small joys are cheap and plentiful.
This week's list of things that made us smile is full of joys large and small, starting with some adorable animals and ending with some happy, helpful humans. We hope it brings a smile (or 10) to your face as you head through the weekend.
1. Human teaches doggo to rebound the basketball and doggo is pretty much a pro.
\u201cThis dog learned how to rebound the ball when his owner is playing basketball \u2764\ufe0f \ud83c\udfc0\u201d— CBS News (@CBS News) 1669924825
That is one smart and very fit dog. Look how excited they are to be helpful.
2. This bird playing peek-a-boo behind a LaCroix can is too cute.
\u201cI've watched this on an endless loop for 15 minutes.\u201d— Alex M. Kintner (@Alex M. Kintner) 1669611090
It never gets old.
3. Cats having holiday photos taken should always be a thing, please and thank you.
Seriously, I need everyone who has a cat to have wreath photos done. These turned out so great.
4. Boy gets a surprise puppy and oof the emotion of it all.
\u201cGETTING A DOG\u201d— B&S (@B&S) 1669798382
Who's got the tissues? I need tissues.
5. Prairie dog politely makes it known that it wants more pets, please.
\u201cPlease don\u2019t stop.. \ud83d\ude0a\u201d— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden) 1669759832
That little paw raise. Goodness.
6. The Rock returns to a 7-11 he used to steal Snickers bars from and makes things right.
"We can't change the past and some of the dumb stuff we may have done, but every once in a while we can add a little redeeming grace note to that situation — and maybe put a big smile on some strangers' faces." Love it. Read the full story here.
7. Billie Jean remix + awesome choreography to go with it = delightful.
So good. A shorter version of this video from Isaiah Shinn went viral on Instagram this summer, but this extended version is even better.
8. Elderly couple gets married in the mayonnaise aisle, right where they first met last year.
How sweet is that? Read the full story here.
9. This family's reaction to one of their own passing the California bar exam is just contagious joy.
These family celebrations never get old.
10. American soccer player hugs an emotional Iranian opponent after their match-up at the World Cup.
@upworthy This is the true power of sports ⚽️❤️
There was a lot of political stuff that went along with this match, but sports are supposed to bring people together. This moment when Antonee Robinson hugged Iranian opponent Ramin Rezaeian at the end of the game says it all. (And in fact, there were several similar moments of human-to-human connection and comfort between the opposing teams after the game.) So beautiful.
Hope that brought some joy to your heart! Come back next week for another roundup of smileworthy finds and if you'd like to have them delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest.
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 information—not 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 mimic…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 they’ve 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 ESL—but 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 don’t 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! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."