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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

smile uplifting viral
@tuquedaddy/TikTok, @zeth/TikTok

This week's roundup of delightful finds from around the internet.

Hello friends!

It probably shouldn't be surprising, but this week's roundup of delightful finds from around the internet is saturated with babies. Not just human babies, but animal babies, too. Hilarious babies. Adorable babies. Babies babies babies.

It makes sense, what with their unbearable cuteness and all. Babies are the best. No matter how ugly things get in the world, we can always look at the sweet innocence of new life to remind ourselves of humanity's potential. We can delight in the wonderment of their discoveries and try to capture some of that wholesome curiosity ourselves. We can revel in their smiles and giggles and share that contagious joy with others.

Of course, if babies don't make you smile (is that really a thing? no way that's a thing) there are some other fun finds here as well, from a silly Wordle parody to a heartwarming gush of library love.

Enjoy!

Woman stops traffic to help a mama duck and her zillion ducklings cross the street.

A human taking the initiative to help a little animal family avoid getting squished by cars is really sweet. But it's the way the mama duck follows the woman's hand signals that does me in. How does she know??? (And how on Earth does she have that many ducklings at once?)

Author Clint Smith reminds us that public libraries are one of the greatest human inventions.

Writers make money selling books, so saying "get my book for free from a library" is awesome. It's also a reminder that libraries are one of the best things humans have ever come up with. "I mean think about it, a place where you can go and get books...for free!" Smith wrote. "And then pass them along to someone else. And then...get even more books. And it's open to everyone. What a concept! It's a testament to public community institutions, and one we shouldn't take for granted."

Tired of winter? Let these kitties being fascinated with the snow refresh you.

Those of us who live in the northern climes are pretty much over the snow by mid-February. But seeing these cats' wonderment at watching the snow fall is a good reminder of how magical it can be.

Speaking of the magic of snow, watch this humongo doggo freak out over a little lip of snow.

He gives it a go several times, chickens out each time, and then absolutely refuses. Hilarious.

And this tiger kitty spooking its enormous mama momma is hilarious, too.

Snow tigers are gorgeous, aren't they? This little one's pounce is so cute, but its mom's genuinely startled reaction is too funny.

This 3-year-old reacting to "Goofy" calling her through her walkie-talkie is too adorable.

@zeth

I don’t know if we can top this reaction 😂

The video was shared last summer, but it's my first time seeing it. I've now watched it a dozen times. The little mini-hyperventilation is just the best. And the "And he answered!" Find more Zeth and Saylor here.

"A Whole New Wordle" parody hilariously nails the word game phenomenon.

"Let me share my Wordle score with youu..." The Holderness Family does awesome parody videos, and they hit all the high spots in the Wordle phenomenon with this one.

This monkey momma is all mommas. 

"Hey, get down from there!"

"Okay, momma. Now lemme smother you with big, open-mouthed kisses."

Basically parenting a wee one in a nutshell.

Dad gets baby to stop crying in 18 seconds and is so happy about it.

@tuquedaddy

Reply to @king.marcellius I wanna see people try!! Duet this and try if you can!! I wanna see y’all super heroes 🥰🥰🥰 #tuquedaddy #fypシ #parenting

Sorry for the first 10 seconds of this video—baby cries are torturous. But the way he talks to his son and the smile on his face at the end is just the sweetest. That is one dang cute baby. Read more about this video and the baby hold here.

Speaking of cute babies, check out this little one discovering the joy of cheese.

Mmmm, the queso promised land. Been there, baby. Same smile and everything.

Hope you enjoyed this week's roundup! Come back next week for more snippets of delight to make your week a little brighter.

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1991 blooper clip of Robin Williams and Elmo is a wholesome nugget of comedic genius

Robin Williams is still bringing smiles to faces after all these years.

Canva via wikicommons and flicker

Robin Williams and Elmo (Kevin Clash) bloopers.

The late Robin Williams could make picking out socks funny, so pairing him with the fuzzy red monster Elmo was bound to be pure wholesome gold. Honestly, how the puppeteer, Kevin Clash, didn’t completely break character and bust out laughing is a miracle. In this short outtake clip, you get to see Williams crack a few jokes in his signature style while Elmo tries desperately to keep it together.

Williams has been a household name since what seems like the beginning of time, and before his death in 2014, he would make frequent appearances on "Sesame Street." The late actor played so many roles that if you were ask 10 different people what their favorite was, you’d likely get 10 different answers. But for the kids who spent their childhoods watching PBS, they got to see him being silly with his favorite monsters and a giant yellow canary. At least I think Big Bird is a canary.

When he stopped by "Sesame Street" for the special “Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake” in 1991, he was there to show Elmo all of the wonderful things you could do with a stick. Williams turns the stick into a hockey stick and a baton before losing his composure and walking off camera. The entire time, Elmo looks enthralled … if puppets can look enthralled. He’s definitely paying attention before slumping over at the realization that Williams goofed a line. But the actor comes back to continue the scene before Elmo slinks down inside his box after getting Williams’ name wrong, which causes his human co-star to take his stick and leave.

The little blooper reel is so cute and pure that it makes you feel good for a few minutes. For an additional boost of serotonin, check out this other (perfectly executed) clip about conflict that Williams did with the two-headed monster. He certainly had a way of engaging his audience, so it makes sense that even after all of these years, he's still greatly missed.

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Honest barbershop owners return stolen Olympic gold medal to US women's volleyball player

A gold medal is priceless.

via Anaheim Police Department

Noe Hernandez and Maria Carrillo, the owners of Noel Barber Shop in Anaheim, California.

Jordyn Poulter was the youngest member of the U.S. women’s volleyball team, which took home the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year. She was named the best setter at the Tokyo games and has been a member of the team since 2018.

Unfortunately, according to a report from ABC 7 News, her gold medal was stolen from her car in a parking garage in Anaheim, California, on May 25.

It was taken along with her passport, which she kept in her glove compartment. While storing a gold medal in your car probably isn’t the best idea, she did it to keep it by her side while fulfilling the hectic schedule of an Olympian.

"We live this crazy life of living so many different places. So many of us play overseas, then go home, then come out here and train,” Poulter said, according to ABC 7. "So I keep the medal on me (to show) friends and family I haven't seen in a while, or just people in the community who want to see the medal. Everyone feels connected to it when they meet an Olympian, and it's such a cool thing to share with people."

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Carson Daly and his wife sleep in separate beds. Here's why a 'sleep divorce' isn't so bad.

It's a problem a lot of couples face.

via Unsplash

Co-sleeping isn't for everyone.

The marital bed is a symbol of the intimacy shared between people who’ve decided to be together 'til death they do part. When couples sleep together it’s an expression of their closeness and how they care for one another when they are most vulnerable.

However, for some couples, the marital bed can be a warzone. Throughout the night couples can endure snoring, sleep apnea, the ongoing battle for sheets or circadian rhythms that never seem to sync. If one person likes to fall asleep with the TV on while the other reads a book, it can be impossible to come to an agreement on a good-night routine.

Last week on TODAY, host Carson Daly reminded viewers that he and his wife Siri, a TODAY Food contributor, had a sleep divorce while she was pregnant with their fourth child.

“I was served my sleep-divorce papers a few years ago,” he explained on TODAY. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to us. We both, admittedly, slept better apart.”

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