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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

Squirrel and acorn man, haka, dad making pancakes with daughter

Looking for a reason to smile? Here are 10.

Need a little dose of joy? How about 10?

Welcome to this week's roundup of delights, which includes an inspiring haka, a gorgeous duet between Pink and Kelly Clarkson, the sweetest little pancake maker, the most adorable acorn people you've ever seen and more.

If you're looking for some reasons to smile, we've got you covered. Enjoy!

1. The magical world of "Becorns" taps right into our childlike wonder.


David Bird was a toy designer at LEGO before he started creating the acorn characters he dubs "Becorns." The scenes he creates by setting up Becorns and waiting for wildlife to find them are peak joy. They even have their own names and personalities! See more and learn about how the idea came about here.


2. Students greet their teachers and classmates with a back-to-school haka in New Zealand.

These Māori students from the tribe of Raukawa are showing their utmost respect to their teachers and fellow students with this traditional haka. So beautiful.

3. Pink and Kelly Clarkson met up on Clarkson's show and delivered a stunning duet of "What About Us?"

Not only is this an awesome message, but both of these singers are known for their rich, powerhouse voices, so putting them together was a stroke of brilliance. A whole album of duets, please! Read the full story here.

4. Daddy and daughter pancake day—can we make this a whole show?

It's just cuteness upon cuteness. What a sweet relationship these two have, and it's also a masterclass in encouraging language development. Good job, daddy.

5. Adele's reaction to this man holding up his late wife's picture is what it's all about.

@adeleaccess

A very special moment from Adele’s concert this past Friday ♥️ #adele #weekendswithadele #adelevegas #adelelive #someonelikeyou #whenwewereyoung

Genuine human-to-human connection. Love to see it. Read the full story here.

6. Kid snuck his family's toaster to school so he could share their stash of Pop-Tarts.

Scroll through for the whole story. What a guy. (These are the kinds of kids teachers actually adore. If only all kids were this thoughtful!)

7. Keanu Reeves surprised a small town pub with an unexpected visit.

Keanu Reeves at The Robin Hood pub

Keanu Reeves with a chef at The Robin Hood.

The Robin Hood Tring/Facebook

The staff at The Robin Hood pub in Tring, Hertfordshire, about 30 miles outside of London, got the surprise of a lifetime when Keanu Reeves walked in the door. He enjoyed a pint and some fish and chips and then, in typical Keanu style, praised the kitchen crew while shaking their hands. Read the full story here.

8. Seriously, the kid who wrote this poem deserves some kind of prize.

And the illustrations! So flippin' clever and cute.

9. The cast of "Saturday Night Life" couldn't keep it together during the "Lisa from Temecula" skit.

SNL may have its ups and downs, but there is nothing funnier than when the comedians themselves can't keep from laughing. "Lisa from Temecula" will definitely go down in cast-cracking history. Read the full story here.

10. If none of that got you smiling, this almond-obsessed ninja cat surely will.

Everyone's cat is its own brand of weird, but oh. my. goodness. "Her best friend is an almond." It's too much. What a treasure of a cat this lady landed.

Hope you enjoyed this week's roundup! To get these posts sent to your inbox each week, sign up for our newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.

Finally, someone explains why we all need subtitles

It seems everyone needs subtitles nowadays in order to "hear" the television. This is something that has become more common over the past decade and it's caused people to question if their hearing is going bad or if perhaps actors have gotten lazy with enunciation.

So if you've been wondering if it's just you who needs subtitles in order to watch the latest marathon-worthy show, worry no more. Vox video producer Edward Vega interviewed dialogue editor Austin Olivia Kendrick to get to the bottom of why we can't seem to make out what the actors are saying anymore. It turns out it's technology's fault, and to get to how we got here, Vega and Kendrick took us back in time.

They first explained that way back when movies were first moving from silent film to spoken dialogue, actors had to enunciate and project loudly while speaking directly into a large microphone. If they spoke and moved like actors do today, it would sound almost as if someone were giving a drive-by soliloquy while circling the block. You'd only hear every other sentence or two.

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Woman shares sweet exchange with 92-year-old grandpa who invited her over for 'sleepover'

“We can order food and watch a mystery show. Love, grandpa.”

via Pexels

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Loneliness is one of the most dangerous health problems in the United States, although it’s seldom discussed. Psychology Today says loneliness has the same mortality risks as obesity, smoking, alcoholism and physical inactivity.

A meta-analysis from Brigham Young University found that social isolation may increase the risk of premature death by up to 50%. The problem with loneliness is that people suffer in silence and it afflicts the ones we don’t see.

A TikTok user who goes by the name Megan Elizabeth recently shared a touching story on social media about how her grandfather was feeling lonely so he reached out to her. The story shows what can happen when one person is brave enough to confront their social isolation and the important role grandkids can play in their grandparents’ lives.

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Czech photographer Jan Langer's portrait series "Faces of Century" shows them in a different light: as human beings aged by years of experience, but at their deepest level, unchanged by the passing of time.

In the series, Langer juxtaposes his portraits with another portrait of the subject from decades earlier. He recreates the original pose and lighting as closely as he can — he wants us to see them not just as they are now, but how they have and haven't changed over time. That is the key to the series.

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One moment in history shot Tracy Chapman to music stardom. Watch it now.

She captivated millions with nothing but her guitar and an iconic voice.

Imagine being in the crowd and hearing "Fast Car" for the first time

While a catchy hook might make a song go viral, very few songs create such a unifying impact that they achieve timeless resonance. Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” is one of those songs.

So much courage and raw honesty is packed into the lyrics, only to be elevated by Chapman’s signature androgynous and soulful voice. Imagine being in the crowd and seeing her as a relatively unknown talent and hearing that song for the first time. Would you instantly recognize that you were witnessing a pivotal moment in musical history?

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“If we don’t see each other again on this earth, we’ll see each other in heaven."

@stephanieatkinson/TikTok

Don't say goodbye.

A video making the rounds online is reminding us all that love transcends all time and distance.

94-year-old Barbara Carolan of Seabrook, Massachusetts, hadn’t been able to see her 90-year-old sister Shirley, who lives in Nevada, since 2020.

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She's totally an adult and not just a baby sitting three other children under a trench coat.

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But it's really not something that's ever come up in real life. No rogue kindergarteners attempting to get into a bar by hiding under a long overcoat. It seemed like one of those things you'd encounter more often growing up, you know...like the quicksand problem that plagued the country. Children are simply much more supervised than cartoons would have you believe. But just because there's supervision doesn't mean there can't be shenanigans.

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