+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of delights

wedding, babies, proposals
@angelabrushephotography/TikTok, @flynailsonly/TikTok, @lilythern/TikTok

From sweet groomsmen to new baby eagerness to surprise proposals, this week's list is full of joy.

Looking for an antidote to the negative news cycle? Look no further, cause we've got you covered.

In this week's roundup, you'll find a delightful surprise proposal, a NICU nurse with a huge heart, a 3-year-old who starts his day in the best possible way, an emotional groom being supported by his besties, a cat aggressively adopting her human in a parking lot and more.

I know I'm a bit biased, but I think this week's list of things that made us smile is especially smile-worthy. So kick back, relax and let these waves of joy wash over you.

1. A teacher thought she was running to break up a fight. What greeted her was the exact opposite.

@lilythern

#fyp #touchingmoment #middleschoolersbelike #loveit

Talk about a surprise proposal. Let's also talk about how she ran straight toward the fray, and in heels no less. Read the story here.

2. Family showing up on Day 31 after No-Baby-Visitors-for-30-Days rule expired is sheer joy

"I already sanitized! I already sanitized!" The eagerness to get first hands on that baby—too precious.

3. NICU nurse with a huge heart adopts a 14-year-old mom who gave birth to triplets

Katrina Mullen, already a mom of five, welcomed four more into her family.

Upworthy/Today

Katrina Mullen had been a teen mom herself, and when her former patient was going to be put into foster care along with her three babies, she didn't hesitate to welcome her into her family. Read the incredible full story here.

4. 3-year-old wakes up at 5:30 a.m. and immediately asks Alexa to play 'I'm Still Standing' so he can dance to it

@narisekiraaaax

5:30am wake up call from my darling son - this bedroom camera captures some of the funniest things 🤣 • #kidsoftiktok #momsoftiktok #mumsoftiktok #mumlife #toddlersoftiktok #newtrend #camera #caughtoncamera #capturedoncamera #imstillstanding #taronedgerton #eltonjohn #dancing #kidstiktok #dancetok #funny #familiesoftiktok #family #hotel #confidence #boymom #mumofboys #uk

Now that's how you greet the day. Go, Vinnie, go!

5. A gift for Gen Xers: Check out this trip down old-school dance memory lane

6. This best man and groomsman supporting an emotional groom has people celebrating genuine friendship

@angelabrushephotography

When Pete saw Maddie 🥹 #fyp #groomreaction #emotionalmoments #weddingtiktok #firstlookwithgroom #weddingphotographer

The groom and best man have been best friends since preschool—and they're both named Peter! Read the full story and see the bride make her entrance here.

7. Teenager performs a surprise haka for his mom at her college graduation

@shay_anar

Very proud of you mum 4 very long and hard years finally paid off!! 💯

Such a powerful expression of love and respect for his mama. Read the full story here.

8. They surprised their 93-year-old grandma after not seeing her for three years and she's beyond thrilled

9. Cat aggressively adopts a new owner in a parking lot and finds a home with 'not cat people'

@dretontheborder

#catrescue #catrescueroftiktok I am not a #catperson but maybe now I will be after today. I #Love my #son has a #huge #compassionate #heart #momsoftiktok #rescate #gato

Some people adopt cats and some people are adopted by cats through the Cat Distribution System. If you've never heard of the CDS, see how it works here.

10. May we all receive the level of emotional support this guy gets from his good doggo

Post-work cuddles and tail wags for the win.

Hope that gave you the boost of serotonin you needed today! If you enjoyed this post and would like to receive more like this in your inbox, join our free newsletter, the Upworthiest, here.

From Your Site Articles
uplifting
Badge
T-Mobile
T-Mobile
Planet

T-Mobile sets another industry-leading goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040

It’s great for the planet and good for business, too.

True

We’ve all been hearing urgent warnings from scientists, government, and corporate leaders on the need to limit the planet's global temperature warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.

Several studies, including research from the National Academy of Sciences indicate if we continue on the path we are on, we will likely hit that pivotal moment of global warming in the early 2030s. It’s clear that more needs to be done —and faster—to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and secure a thriving and sustainable economy for everyone.

Broader research is also showing people care more than ever about what companies are doing to address this challenge. In a 2022 global survey from IBM, 51% of respondents said environmental sustainability is more important to them now than it was the year before. And a 2022 Yale survey found that 51% of U.S. business students would even take lower pay to work for a company with better environmental practices — a signal of the topic's importance.

T-Mobile is an example of a company that has led the wireless industry in these efforts starting with its pledge in 2018 to source 100% of its total electricity usage with renewable energy and being the first in U.S. wireless to set science-based carbon reduction goals and then reach them in 2021. This year, T-Mobile stepped up even more by becoming the first U.S. wireless provider to announce a net-zero target for its entire carbon footprint.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Tense video shows a woman filming herself after sensing a man following her. She was right.

“See this gentleman behind me? Yeah, this is what this video’s about.”

@lacie_kraatz/TikTok

Lacie films as the mysterious man visibly gets closer.

It’s no secret that even the most seemingly safe of public places can instantly turn dangerous for a woman. Is it fair? No. But is it common? Absolutely, to the point where more and more women are documenting moments of being stalked or harassed as a grim reminder to be aware of one’s surroundings.

Lacie (@lacie_kraatz) is one of those women. On April 11th, she was out on a run when she noticed a man in front of her displaying suspicious behavior. Things got especially dicey when the man somehow got behind her. That’s when she pulled out her phone and started filming—partially to prove that it wasn’t just her imagination, and also out of fear for her safety.

“Hello. I’m just making this video so that women are a little more aware of them,” she begins in the video. “See this gentleman behind me? Yeah, this is what this video’s about.”

Keep ReadingShow less
community
Health

Every character in Winnie the Pooh has a mental health issue and it's great for kids to see

The wholesome Hundred Acre Wood crew offer a beautiful example of supporting friends with mental illness.

Ernest Howard Shepard (Public Domain)

Winnie the Pooh and his pals exemplify support without stigma.

Winnie the Pooh was a staple in our home when my kids were little. The calm wholesomeness of the Hundred Acre Wood offered a soothing contrast to the internet age's wave of overstimulating and/or obnoxious children's entertainment, and all three of my offspring ate it up. In fact, my youngest, now 14, will still turn on Winnie the Pooh videos when he's feeling nostalgic for his childhood.

The characters created by A.A. Milne in 1926 have been beloved for generations. One obvious reason is the way Milne tapped into the curiosity and wonder of a child's imagination by making a boy's stuffed animals come to life. A less obvious reason—but one that has become clearer as mental health awareness and education has spread—is that the characters seem to represent an array of mental health disorders. Not only that, but they also serve as a beautiful example of how friends love and support one another through mental illness struggles without stigma or judgment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

People can't get enough of this Italian preschooler's classically Italian rant

Her inflections and gesticulations are just too much.

@guiseppe_matilde/TikTok

An Italian preschooler's Italian rant has people in stitches.

All people have a need to communicate, but the way we do that varies greatly from place to place. Every culture has its own communication peculiarities that make our human family delightfully diverse.

Not only do humans speak thousands of languages around the world, but we also engage in culturally specific speaking styles, speech patterns and body language, some of which are immediately identifiable.

Case in point: the Italian "finger purse."

Keep ReadingShow less
culture
Joy

Mom found the perfect trick to soothe her crying baby: ‘Get Low’ by Lil Jon

Things will get interesting when he can sing along.

Melissa Buckley|Instagram

Mom plays Lil Jon to get baby to stop crying.

If you've had a baby or babysat someone else's, then you know sometimes they cry, and there doesn't seem to be much you can do to soothe them. You try all of the things—change their diaper, give them a bottle, do the bounce and sway that just about every parent has perfected. Yet, the wailing continues and you begin to question your life choices.

But thankfully, babies are pretty easily amused...most of the time. Ripping up paper or accidentally stubbing your toe can throw a baby into a fit of laughter. Other times, you have to call in the reserves—Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz featuring the Ying Yang Twins. Nope, I didn't bump my head. Melissa Buckley discovered her 2-month-old son's magic remedy to inconsolable tears is Lil Jon, specifically, "Get Low."

You may be wondering how her infant son has such impeccable taste in 2000s dance music, and the answer is surprisingly simple.

Keep ReadingShow less
parenting
Family

Women are cheering on a mom who left her husband after he refused to clean the house for 6 days

Her video highlights a big problem women face.

via @5kids5catssomedogstoo/TikTok

Lynalice Bandy shares what her home looks like after working six 10-hour days and getting no help from her husband.

A viral TikTok video highlights an extreme version of inequality that many wives and mothers in heterosexual relationships face. However, the mom in this story hit her limit and won’t deal with it anymore.

Lynalice Bandy, who goes by @5kids5catssomedogstoo on TikTok, posted a video that showed her home looking like a disaster after she worked six 10-hour days straight while her husband did nothing to help.

Her time-lapse video shows every room in the house completely trashed, with toys, food and laundry scattered everywhere. "Shampoo on the carpets in the girls' room, nail polish all over Nugget covers, hair, and carpet. Scissors were used to cut hair, the down comforter, the mattress cover, and two Nugget covers," wrote the mom.

Keep ReadingShow less
women
Pop Culture

Relationship expert tells people to never get married unless you're willing to do 3 things

"If you and your partner (both) are unable or unwilling to do these 3 things consistently forever, you won’t make it."

Canva/Jayson Gaddis Twitter Screenshot

Relationship expert gives people advice on getting married.

Being in a relationship can be difficult at times. Learning someone else's quirks, boundaries, and deep views on the world can be eye-opening and hard. But usually, the happy chemicals released in our brain when we love someone can cause us to overlook things in order to keep the peace.

Jayson Gaddis, a relationship expert, took to Twitter to rip off people's rose-colored glasses and tell them to forego marriage. Honestly, with the divorce rate in this country being as high as it is, he probably could've stopped his tweet right there. Don't get married, the end. Many people would've probably related and not questioned the bold statement, but thankfully he followed up with three things you must be willing to do before going to the chapel.

Before going into his reasons for why he tells people not to get married, Gaddis explained that he is a person that "LOVEs being married." I mean, it would probably make him a pretty weird relationship expert if he hated relationships, so it's probably a good thing he enjoys being married. Surely his spouse appreciates his stance as well.

Keep ReadingShow less
relationships
Trending Stories