10 things that made us smile this week
From grandpa "breastfeeding" to prancing pups to Scrat finally getting his acorn, here's this week's roundup of joy and delight.
Upworthy's weekly roundup of happy things.
Mother Nature played a silly trick where I live this week, dumping inches of snow, days in a row. And while I'm tempted to say bah humbug to second winter in April (OK, more than tempted—BAH HUMBUG) I know it's a temporary blip. The daffodils and tulips peeking out from under the white will persevere, the snow will melt as it always does and spring will emerge in her full, green glory soon enough.
Sometimes the world feels like this. Cold when it should be warm. Snow where there should be flowers. Struggle and suffering when there should be peace and prosperity. Yet we persevere, knowing this too shall pass. We try to look toward the horizon with hope, knowing the light will penetrate the darkness eventually.
And while we wait, we work to help ourselves and our human brethren through the unexpected rough patches. Sometimes that means fighting the good fight. Sometimes it means finding joy in simple things. Sometimes it means letting music move us in its mysterious way. Sometimes it means zoning out on goofy cat videos or laughing along with an infectious viral baby giggle.
Goodness knows we can all use a little lift in our spirits, and small snippets of beauty and delight can help give us the energy we need to persevere. We've collected 10 of them to get you started as you wrap up your week.
Enjoy:
BOY singer had the most delightfully surprised response when fans started singing along.
When Swiss/German girl duo BOY performed their song "Little Numbers" at their first U.S. show in Brooklyn in 2013, they were totally surprised by the crowd singing along with the chorus. Lead singer Valeska Steiner's reaction is so pure and sweet, each time. "You're giving us goosebumps!" she says. Such a moment is a dream come true for a musician.
Dad's pride at his daughter passing her nursing exam is so heartwarming.
That proud pops could not be sweeter. That kind of support means so much.
Grandpa creatively "breastfed" his godson when he wouldn't take a bottle.
@xo.weendyy To all the dads out there who struggle with their little ones not taking the bottle 😂💀 #fyp #foryou #parati #fypシ #4u #grandchild
Speaking of support, this is so awesome. And hilarious. Read the story here.
Dads set their pride aside to entertain their daughters in silly cheerleading competition.
@cedarcheer Cedar High’s first annual Cheer Dad Jump Off! The competition was sure fierce! #fyp #cheer #cheerdads #cheerleaders
Speaking of dads and hilarity, get a load of these guys. A couple of them actually have some skill! Read the full story here.
Veterinarians get down with a dancing cockatoo. (Sound up!)
Veterinarians dance along with Cockatoopic.twitter.com/zkLn5ZrQwC— Madeyousmile (@Madeyousmile) 1649523100
You definitely want the sound on for this. Cockatoos dancing is always entertaining, but seeing professional humans dancing along is just pure joy.
Fenix the "happy dog" has a pep in his step like no other.
@fenixlumiere I’m just a dancing with myself. I’m just a prancing with myself! Have a great day, doing it your way! #happydog #prancingdog #rescuedog #husky #doglove #dogs #cerebellarhypoplasiadogs
And speaking of pure joy, nothing says it like Fenix the husky's prancing. He was almost killed due to a neurological disorder that affects his coordination and causes him to prance like he's dancing, but his owners rescued him and now he lives a happy dog life. May we all have this much enthusiasm in our steps today!
Hahaha. Maybe should have thought that one through, Jeff.
One of my greatest joys in life is when Jeff calls the vet to make an appointment and they ask for his name, and he says, Jeff. Then, they ask for our cat's name, and I watch him gather his strength before he tells them, Baby Jeff.— Brittany Means (@Brittany Means) 1649891804
Oh, Jeff. The best part of this tweet is that you can just picture it perfectly. "Your name?" "Jeff." "And your cat's name?" Pause…"Baby Jeff." So funny.
Teen who was homeless gets reunited with dog he surrendered to an animal shelter.
A homeless teen who selflessly surrendered his dog to a Mississippi animal shelter with a bag of dog food and a blanket because he couldn’t care for her properly has been reunited with his dog—and has a place to stay as well. Read the full story here.
After vowing he'd never sing it, Julian Lennon performs his dad's song, "Imagine" for Ukraine.
Julian Lennon has always said that he would never publicly perform "Imagine," in deference to the incredible power the song held. However, in light of the war on Ukraine, which Lennon called an “unimaginable tragedy," he changed his mind. "Within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time," he said. "The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for." Read the full story here.
In a sweet farewell, "Ice Age" studio artists finally—finally!—let Scrat have his acorn.
Scrat finally gets the acorn as a farewell to Blue Sky Studios.\n\n\u201cIn the final days of Blue Sky Studios, a small team of artists came together to do one final shot. This shot is a farewell, a send-off on our own terms.\u201dpic.twitter.com/Z9QmNEX4x1— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) 1649886173
Blue Sky Studios, the animation studio responsible for the "Rio" and "Ice Age" series of films, was founded in 1987. In 2021, Disney announced it would be shuttering its doors, and this week a final "Ice Age" short made by a small team of artists from the studio was released. If you've watched the "Ice Age" movies, you know that Scrat is always trying to get his precious acorn, but there are always hilariously painful mishaps that prevent his success. This time, they let him have it—a fitting final farewell from Blue Sky.
Hope that brought some joy to your day. Come back again next week for another roundup of small delights to boost your spirit.
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