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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

This week's finds include an adorable baby's first 'Dada,' an appreciative delivery driver, an angel rocking out to 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' and more.

joy, happy, uplifting
Photo by Domingo Alvarez E on Unsplash

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

Ho ho ho, happy humans!

It's that time of the week again, when we gather together the most smile-worthy tidbits of the past seven days and share them with you all. As the lucky person who gets to wrap them up in a nice, shiny, virtual bow, I'm delighted to tell you that this week's list is awesome. They always are—that's kind of the point—but this week I can practically guarantee you're going to be brimming with joy by the end.

Right out of the gate, we've got baby giggles. I mean, come on. Who can resist baby giggles?

In a twist I never would have expected, we have a rap about a deceased aunt (surprisingly not as dark as it sounds), 13 strangers taking an unplanned road trip together, a girl who might as well apply for Disney princesshood now, an impressive show of solidarity for a struggling writer and more.

So much great stuff in here. Get comfy and enjoy!

1. This baby's squeals are the best after his dada celebrates his first 'Dada.'

There is nothing like that sound in the whole world. So precious.

2. A flood of famous authors swooped in to lift up a debut novelist when only two people showed up to her book signing.

books, authors

Famous writers shared their book signing woes with a disheartened new author.

@chelseabwrites, @jodipicoult, @neilhimself, @MargaretAtwood/Twitter, Photo by Pauline Loroy on Unsplash

This Twitter thread was simply amazing. So many famous writers shared that they'd experienced empty room book signings, and so many others, from Henry Winkler to Flavor Flav, chimed in with words of encouragement as well. Read the full story here.

3. Check out this angel's dance moves during 'O Come, All Ye Faithful.'

This kid's got a whole other bop playing under that halo.

4. This guy's 'rap' about his 95-year-old aunt dying on Thanksgiving morning is hilarious.

@dairy.n

This is a healthy way to process things right?

A loved one dying on a holiday isn't usually something to laugh at, but there are exceptions to every rule. His follow-up video explaining who his aunt was and how she used humor to cope with hard times makes it all the better. She would have loved this. Find the full story here.

5. Omigosh, a real-life Disney princess!

So darn sweet. And gorgeous voice.

6. He warms his hands up to warm up the baby goat and is there anything sweeter than this?

The thoughtfulness. Seriously the best.

7. Speaking of human-animal sweetness, this cow is living her best life in her human's lap.

OK, first of all, the cow's name is Margot. I can't. And second of all, umm, where can I get a cow?

8. Japanese fans clean up the stadium after they watch a match and it's just … atarimae.

@aljazeeraontiktok

Why do Japanese football fans clean up after a match? @Sandra Gathmann asks the fans #QatarWorldCup2022 #FIFA #WorldCup #Qatar #Football #Qatar2022 #WorldCup2022 #Japan #cleaning #fans

Atarimae! What a delightful concept. Read the full story here.

9. The reaction of this delivery driver when he saw the snacks someone left for him is so wholesome.

@toniraebarnett

Snacks for our delivery drivers. This reaction might be one of the best! #snackcart #fyp #ups #nestcam #christmas #delivery #foryou

A show of appreciation for a show of appreciation. Absolutely beautiful. Well done, humans.

10. After their flight was delayed, 13 strangers rented a van together and took an eight-hour road trip to their destination.

@alanahstory21

I cant make this up. Road trip! 🚐 @The Farm Babe @StarrPuck @doerksen92 @Renee @robinwharton976 @CozumelAutentico

The baker's dozen became fast friends on their "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" adventure, documenting it on TikTok as it went viral. Read the full story here. So heartwarming.

Hope that brought some smiles to your face! If you'd like to have these weekly roundups delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our free email newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

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Science

Astronaut shares the profound 'big lie' he realized after seeing the Earth from space

This change in perspective could change humanity.

via Rubén Moreno Montolíu/Flickr

Our home, from space.

Sixty-one years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to make it into space and probably the first to experience what scientists now call the "overview effect." This change occurs when people see the world from far above and notice that it’s a place where “borders are invisible, where racial, religious and economic strife are nowhere to be seen.”

The overview effect makes man’s squabbles with one another seem incredibly petty and presents the planet as it truly is, one interconnected organism.

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space
Joy

Dramatic video shows Florida sheriff's deputy delivering a baby on the side of the road

Maybe the deputy missed his calling!

Fox13|YouTube

Florida deputy delivers baby on the side of the road

No mom dreams of delivering their baby on the side of the road. Visions of comfy birthing centers or a hospital room with the OBGYN that you've grown fond of are usually the images that come to mind. But not everyone has a delivery in their place of choice, and women that have birthed more than one child typically have faster labors.

People who have a lot of children often know their bodies and sense how quickly their babies might come, so they try to make it to the hospital before things get interesting. A couple in Florida who were expecting their sixth child attempted to head to the hospital before the baby arrived, but the baby had other plans.

Knowing he had to get his wife to the hospital quickly, Luis Lopez pulled over when he saw deputies on the side of the road and flagged them down for a police escort.

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florida deputy birth
Family

Husband shares how he used to think of himself as the 'main character' of his marriage

"I had to unlearn it because it never was okay."

@jfisher62/TikTok

"I had to unlearn it because it never was okay."

There is certainly no shortage of stories from women highlighting the glaring disparity between society’s expected responsibilities of husbands vs. wives. Some are a bit more lighthearted, poking fun at the absurdity. Others reflect utter frustration and had-it-up-to-here-edness with partners not doing their share of the work.

However, self-proclaimed “Clueless Husband” J Fisher’s honest, thoughtful retrospection on the subject shows that it’s not just female partners noticing that things need to change.

In a now-viral TikTok video, Fisher describes how he used to consider himself the “main character” of his relationship.

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life
Family

Michelle Obama shares how parents can keep their identities and be more than just 'mom' or 'dad'

It's so easy to lose yourself while raising kids.

via The Obama White House/Medium

Michelle Obama speaking during the Canadian State Visit to the White House.

When people become parents, the whole world suddenly revolves around a little bundle of joy that takes up all their time and energy. This makes it too easy for parents to let their personal aspirations, hobbies, and social lives slip away. Most of the time, it’s not a conscious choice but something that happens in the background while you’re busy caring for a child.

Then one day, you look up and wonder, where did my life go?

The big problem is that people can become so wrapped up in their identities as parents that when their children grow older and leave the house, they have no sense of self. Amy Morin, LCSW, says that this can lead to feelings of loss, loneliness, distress and conflicts with their partners.

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Heroes

Mom protects her young children from a swarm of bees as she's stung 75 times

She quickly picked her children up and got them to safety while risking herself.

Good Morning America|YouTube

Mom stung 75 times trying to protect her kids from bees

Bees are probably one of the most confusing insects right now because they're endangered, but also your instinct is to slap them away if they get too close. Bee stings hurt and their being on the endangered list doesn't make their stings any more pleasant. But with warm weather and flowers come bees ready to carry pollen on their furry bee legs and make delicious honey.

As long as they conduct their business away from people with exposed body parts, people tend to leave them alone. Again, being stung kinda sucks. Unfortunately, humans and bees cross paths fairly often, and for one mom in Arizona, that meant she and her children experienced a terrifying ordeal when running into a swarm.

The mom was trying to get pictures of her daughters in a field of flowers after Arizona had a "super bloom," when they were attacked by a swarm of bees.

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mom hero
Pop Culture

Footage of the Chili's 'Baby Back Ribs' recording session will catapult you to the '90s

Those guys could sing!

via Alvin Chea/YouTube

The “Chili’s (Welcome To Chili’s)" singers putting it down.

Few jingles get stuck in your head as easily as the Chili's "Baby Back Ribs" song, officially known as “Chili’s (Welcome To Chili’s),” which was first broadcast in 1996. The music starts with a deep-voiced man singing, “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back,” and builds from there to a sweet and tangy crescendo of “I want my baby back ribs!”

Guy Bommarito, the songwriter who wrote the jingle, says that Chilli’s execs weren’t initially too excited by his creation. "The response was, 'Yeah, that should work.' Nobody was blown away or overly impressed," he told Delish. "But it could've been my singing."

The song was later rerecorded in 1998 by a team of studio pros who took it to the next level with their soulful professionalism. The recording session video was shared on YouTube by singer Alvin Chea, and there’s something so satisfying and nostalgic about watching these guys put it down together at the same time.

In the new version, the iconic “baby back” bassline is sung by Alvin Chea, the bass singer for Grammy-winning gospel a cappella group Take 6, who also sang on Michael Jackson’s “This is It.” Dorian Holley, in the vest and tie, sang harmonies and also worked with the King of Pop as a background singer.

Oren Waters takes the lead on the “Chili’s” line and is part of the Waters family who sang background on MJ’s “Thriller" album. Louis Price sings the “barbeque sauce” line and was the lead singer of The Temptations from 1977 to 1980.

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