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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy and delight from around the internet.

10 things that made us smile this week

From Jennifer Garner's birthday surprise to good doggos meeting their baby sister, here are 10 things that will make you smile.

Do you ever feel like the world has officially entered hell-in-a-handbasket territory? Like division and hate are dominating and kindness and compassion are dwindling?

I have a strong faith in humanity, but the past handful of years has shaken that faith pretty hard. When I step back, though, I realize that most of my perception about the state of the world is coming from this electronic box in front of me. The nature of my work has me spending lots of time paying close attention to the media and spending lots of time on social media—which can be useful, but which also thrives on viral negativity . It's easy to walk away from a social media scroll session with the perception that people in general are getting worse.

But that's not what the data shows. While there are some serious issues we need to deal with, people in general have been actually more excellent to one another . In fact, the World Happiness Report , which uses data from Gallup World Poll, shared that people volunteered, donated and helped strangers 25% more in 2021 than before the pandemic. The report authors called it "a pandemic of benevolence."


Just let that shot of faith in humanity sink in. Don't fight it. It's a good thing, truly. Let's let it be good without trying to explain it away. It's OK to shift our focus from the negative to the positive. It's energizing. It gives us hope. It reminds us that there is always good happening in the world at the same time as the bad.

It's also OK to take a break from the headlines and indulge in some purely feel-good content. Those delightful little doses of endorphins from watching a cute animal or baby video can be just the thing we need to help us through the day. No shame in that game.

Let's celebrate good things large and small with these 10 smile-worthy tidbits from around the interwebs:

Jennifer Garner got the best birthday surprise from her childhood crush, Donny Osmond.

Jennifer Garner's relatability is legendary and totally evidenced in this video. The part where she had to take off her sweater is the best. Such a pure, sweet reaction to a dream come true. Read the full story here.

Cameron the Lyft driver's list of different drives he offers is hilariously genius.

Have you ever gotten into an Uber or Lyft or taxi and wished the driver would either talk more, or talk less, or stop talking, or talk about something else? Cameron lets his passengers choose what kind of ride they get, from the Small Talk Ride to the Therapy Ride to the Funny Ride to the Creepy Ride. One ride even involves bubbles. Read the full story here .

12-year-old raises more than $300,000 for Ukraine with his handmade wooden bowl.

Best story ever. Gabriel Clark's dad shared that his son was feeling down because kids had told him his woodworking habit wasn't cool. That tweet resulted in a flood of support and prompted Gabriel to create a special wooden bowl to raise money to help the children of Ukraine. So many people pulling together to support a sweet kid and those impacted by war. Definitely worth reading the whole story here.

Fox enjoying a little banjo concert in front of a stunning natural backdrop.

I mean, this is just beautiful in every way.

Golden retrievers Winston and Doug meet their baby sister for the first time, and awwww.

@winstonthegoodboygolden

Already the best big brothers 💛 I see lots of kisses & toys in Miller’s future! #dogmeetsbaby #petsoftiktok #goldenretriever #feelgood #ComeDanceWithMe

The donut got me.

Potato dog getting a bath.

No reason for sharing this other than it's just so darn cute. Oh, dat belly.

The original video that prompted a viral 'I JUST A BABY!' audio wave is just too much.

@little.blooming.women

Did. She. Stutter? #parenting #toddler #toddlersoftiktok

There are a gazillion videos on TikTok using this audio, but nothing compares to the original. These pandemic babies are something else, I tell you. (Also, "I JUST A BABY!!!" is now my excuse for doing anything I don't want to do, thankyouverymuch.)

Dad had no idea he was auditioning for "Britain's Got Talent," then brought the house down.

Sorry, this is both smile-worthy and tear-worthy, so you might want to grab a tissue before watching. So dang sweet.

Believe it or not, there really was a "pandemic of benevolence" in 2021.

The conclusion of the 2022 World Happiness Report ought to give you a boost of faith in humanity:

" Although our three measures of prosocial behaviour—donations, volunteering and helping strangers—had differing levels and trends, all showed increases in 2021 in every global region, often at remarkable rates not seen for any of the variables we have tracked before and during the pandemic.

Global benevolence, as measured by the average of the three measures of prosocial behaviour, has increased remarkably in 2021, up by almost 25% of its pre-pandemic level, led by the helping of strangers, but with strong growth also in donations and volunteering."

Read the full story here.

If you need a pep talk, let this 3-year-old's affirmations inspire you.

Definitely want the sound up on this one. This is the kind of pump-up we all need to give ourselves each day. "I'M RUNNED OUT OF POWER BUT I CAN STILL MAKE IT DOWN DIS BIG HILL." Right on, little one.

Hope that brought many smiles to your face, friends! Come back next week for another roundup of joy and delight.

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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via UNSW

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Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, are a conservative group who aren't known for being vocal about sex.

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Terrified, emaciated dog comes to life as volunteer sits with him for human connection

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Terrified dog transforms after human sits with him.

There's something about dogs that makes people just want to cuddle them. They have some of the sweetest faces with big curious eyes that make them almost look cartoonish at times. But not all dogs get humans that want to snuggle up with them on cold nights; some dogs are neglected or abandoned. That's where animal shelters come in, and they work diligently to take care of any medical needs and find these animals loving homes.

Volunteers are essential to animal shelters running effectively to fill in the gaps employees may not have time for. Rocky Kanaka has been volunteering to sit with dogs to provide comfort. Recently he uploaded a video of an extremely emaciated Vizsla mix that was doing his best to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the kennel.

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She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

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All images via the CBS/YouTube

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Images via Alan Taylor/Flickr , used with permission.

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Library of Congress

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