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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.

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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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Visit Sweden
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Education

Sweden’s landmark new proposal will stop the world from mixing it up with Switzerland

Honestly, do you know the difference?

True

After over a thousand years of peaceful relations, European semi-superpowers Sweden and Switzerland may finally address a lingering issue between the two nations. But the problem isn’t either country’s fault. The point is that the rest of the world can’t tell them apart. They simply don’t know their kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumpling) from their birchermüesli (a Swiss breakfast dish).

This confusion on the European continent has played out in countless ways.

Swedish people who move to the United States often complain of being introduced as Swiss. The New York Stock Exchange has fallen victim to the confusion, and a French hockey team once greeted their Swiss opponents, SC Bern, by playing the Swedish National Anthem and raising the Swedish flag.

Skämtar du med mig? (“Are you kidding me?” in Swedish)

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75-year-old ‘hip-hop granny’ impresses and inspires with her dance moves

Ms. Stephanie didn’t even start formal dance lessons until she was almost 30.

@fiercefitnessty/TikTok

Ms. Stephanie bringing it at her hip-hop class.

Stephanie Walsh isn't your average hip-hop dancer. At 75, "Ms. Stephanie" is still able to hold her own on the dance floor, popping and locking with people a third her age, and she loves it.

When you see her dance—and her enviable muscle tone—you might think she'd been a trained dancer all her life. But she actually didn't take any formal dance lessons until she was almost 30.

Walsh told Growing Bolder that she had wanted her daughter to dance when she was little, so she got her ballet lessons, which the daughter hated. Realizing that dancing was her dream and not her daughter's, Walsh took her kiddo out of ballet and started classes herself right away.

She had always loved to dance and developing her skills only led to more and more dancing.

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Woman breaks down the 'psychology tricks' Trader Joes uses to create its loyal following

Even the subtlest perks are all by design.

@urbannic/TikTok

Trader Joe's customers love the stores iconic items and laid-back vibes.

Few grocery stores have achieved a full blown culture quite like the retail fan-favorite Trader Joe’s, where folks can always count on an adventure filled with cookie butter, cheap wine and conversations with an Hawaiin shirt-clad employee.

And while there are some perhaps obvious reasons behind TJ’s loyal following—the eclectic seasonal food items, the relaxing atmosphere—one woman is taking an in-depth look at some of the lesser known “psychological tricks” that keep shoppers coming back time and time again.

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Pop Culture

Ever seen two cellists rocking out to an AC/DC song? It's amazing how well it works.

2Cello's genre-smashing "Thunderstruck" performance has been watched 260 million times.

2Cellos/YouTube

2Cellos rocks the house with "Thunderstruck."

If someone said, "Name two genres of music on the opposite ends of the spectrum," heavy metal and classical music would be a logical answer. So when you hear that an AC/DC song being played on classical instruments, it can challenge the brain a bit.

(Some folks may ask, "Is AC/DC really considered heavy metal?" By today's standards, no. Compared to thrash, black and death metal, definitely not. But AC/DC has been lumped into the heavy metal genre by everyone from MTV to Encyclopedia Britannica, despite co-founder Angus Young saying they were just a rock band. At the very least, they were metal-adjacent, so let's roll with it.)

"Thunderstruck" is one of those songs people of all ages know at least part of, thanks to its frequent use in movies and television shows. In fact, it's so ubiquitous that when two cellists transition into it from a classical piece, it's instantly recognizable.

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Family

4-year-old's 'sweet and sour' revelation is a solid piece of wisdom, even for adults

Life advice hits different when it comes from an adorable kiddo.

@katyrobinbird/Instagram

Emi's bike-riding revelation has people tickled.

Out of the mouths of babes comes the greatest wisdom sometimes.

Kids are brand new at this whole being a human thing, and they often vocalize what they're learning as they go. This is especially true at age 4, when they're really getting the hang of asking questions and talking about their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes the things they say are surprisingly profound, and hearing sage life advice from a preschooler is always an unexpected treat.

That's why 4-year-old Emi's revelation about finding the positives in every situation has people so tickled. Emi's mom, Katy-Robin Garton (@katyrobinbird on Instagram), often puts a mic on her daughter when they go bike riding so she can hear her better and so she can capture her musings in her adorable voice while it lasts. On this ride, Emi explained how "sour" things can be turned "sweet."

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Family

Teen attends a stranger’s funeral and wins the deceased person’s car

She had a "giving spirit."

via The Daily Mail/TikTok

Gabriella Bonham wins Diane Sweeney's car.

As the old saying goes, there are no pockets in shrouds, and even though Diane Sweeney loved her 2016 Volkswagen Beetle, she couldn’t take it with her to the great beyond, so she chose to have some fun with it after she passed away.

A month before she died suddenly, on July 7, 2022, she told her nephew Rick Ingram that she wanted to give her car away at her funeral and it didn’t matter who came.

"She told a few of us her wish,” Ingram told Fox News. “I remember it clear as day. She said, ‘Whoever comes to my funeral, I want them to have a chance to win my Volkswagen Beetle.’ And I said, ‘Oh, Diane, I'll make that happen.’"

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Flower girl expertly schools her dad on not embarrassing her when she walks down the aisle

This little girl has "future CEO" written all over her.

The Lomelino Family/YouTube

Dad got a lesson from his young daughter in wedding etiquette.

Some kids are natural born leaders, and one adorable flower girl is a prime example.

A video created by the Lomelino Family and shared by weddingz.in on Instagram shows a little girl in a fancy red dress talking to her dad about the wedding in which she's to be a flower girl. Clearly, she has done her homework and put a lot of thought into how her role is supposed to go—as well as anticipated where it might go awry.

For instance, she tells her dad he can't call her name when she's walking down the aisle. Obviously, Dad's got a reputation. And when he asks if he can call out, "Princess!" instead, she full-on womansplains weddings to him, complete with a classic patient-but-exasperated brushing bangs away from her face move.

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