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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of delights from around the internet.

10 things that made us smile this week
Nick Kosir/TikTok, @FredSchultz35/Twitter

From a dancing weatherman to a koala with a stuffed koala, here are 10 things to make you smile.

Hi friends!

It's the weekend, which means it's time for another roundup of joy from around the internet. Our world through the lens of the news and social media can look awfully bleak, and while there are definitely severe challenges to face and problems to work through, we don't do ourselves any favors by focusing primarily on the negative. We gotta break up the darkness with some sunlight wherever and whenever we can.

Sometimes that might look like highlighting an awesome human doing awesome things. Sometimes it looks like being reminded of the delightful joy of children and animals. Sometimes it might be a dose of fun-filled energy from a viral dance video. While they won't solve our problems, these seemingly small things can actually make a difference in our mindset and heartset, giving us the boost we need to keep on fighting the good fight.

So if you're feeling the weight of the world and need a little pick-me-up, we've got you covered. Here are 10 things that made us smile this week. Hope they make you smile, too.

Let's start with the bestest greeting ever. 

Who wouldn't be delighted to see this 3-year-old's confident "Good morning!" What a way to start the day.

Speaking of adorableness, check out this wee one trying to say "alligator."

@cnblucky38

Reply to @purplelovinggirl yep its right here 🤣🙌

"AGGLLGAGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL!" Absolutely the best. Don't ever correct him, please.

This 5-year-old has got MOVES.

@officialnickkosir

Already goated and she’s only 5 🤩

Nick Kosir is known as "The Dancing Weatherman" (he really is a working meteorologist) but his 5-year-old sidekick definitely steals the show in this video. (His blue shoes, though. Love.)

The wholesome sass on this young lady. Epic. 

"You will see." Oh my. The pigtails combined with the arm stance combined with the glasses drop. It's Melody's world, y'all. We're just living in it.

Betty Reid Soskin blows #aginggoals right out of the water.

Soskin became a park ranger at 85, well after most people are fully past retirement age—not because she had to, but because she wanted to. She loved sharing forgotten stories of African Americans during WWII in her time with the National Park Service, but at 100—one hundred years old, holy cow—she's finally hanging up her hat. Read more about Ranger Betty and see her in action here.

High schooler's note to school librarian is a perfectly poetic ode to all librarians.

The student clearly wanted to express love for the librarian, and used quotes from famous authors (the first is from Barbara Kingsolver) to do so. So sweet.

Rick Astley's cover of a Foo Fighters song is surprisingly great. 

This isn't new, but it was new to me and holy cow. Am I the only one who didn't know Rick Astley had this in him? Read the full story here.

A TikTok challenge that's actually wholesome, kid-friendly and educational. 

TikTok "challenges" can be problematic, if not downright dangerous sometimes, so it's fun to see one that's just good old-fashioned fun. This video is riveting, like watching a game of Gen Z Jenga. Plus it's a good way for kids to experiment with surface tension. Read the full story here.

A koala with a stuffed koala friend. Come on now. 

I mean, this is just pure cuteness.

There is no one happier than this cat on a sheep.

That's a cat living its best life. And sheepy is just sitting there letting it happen. So soothing.

Hope that brought some delight to your day! Come back next week for another roundup of smile-worthy finds from around the internet.

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