
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 with a chef at The Robin Hood.
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.
\u201cGive the child who wrote this the Poet Laureate\u201d— Cara Lisette (@Cara Lisette) 1675280714
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.
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."