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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

10 things that made us smile this week

Looking for a reason to smile? Look no further.

Hey there, fellow passengers on this thrill ride!

Are we having fun yet? I don't know about you, but I keep finding myself wanting to yell, "SOMEBODY STOP THIS THING—I WANNA GET OFF!" All of these ups and downs and roundy rounds are making me queasy, I gotta tell you. And that last drop was a doozy.

While we're wondering what lies on the other side of the next climb or around the next corner, let's close our eyes and take stock of what else is happening. Smell the buttered popcorn and funnel cakes in the air. Feel the warm sun on our face and wind in our hair. Be grateful for the friend in the seat beside us, holding our hand as we scream on the descents and laugh on the straightaways.

We can't control or predict everything. But we can choose to find some good amid the chaos.


If you're struggling with the ride and having a hard time finding the good in the moment, this list won't fix everything. But maybe it'll give you a little reprieve and bring a smile to your face a few times. And maybe, for now, that's enough.

May we all be as jaunty and jovial in our later years as this awesome auntie.

I want to be her when I grow up.

The future of medicine is bright, indeed.

Aw. After the hell that healthcare workers have been through the past two years, it's lovely to see such a pure, sweet hope coming from the medical field.

Little boy sees his mom coming down the aisle and adorableness ensues.

The way he looks for her and the way his face lights up when he sees her. A perfect walk down the aisle.

A boy in Kansas sent off a note attached to balloons. A man in Quebec found them.

Incredibly, Reid Habbert's bunch of balloons traveled more than 1,800 miles with a note attached asking whoever found them to contact him. Cree hunter David Longchap found them on the traditional lands of the Cree nation in Quebec, Canada, and a beautiful cultural exchange resulted. Read the full story here.

This boys' school marimba band is nothing but sheer joy.

How fun is that? Read the full story here.

Blue Jays fan caught a homer and immediately gave it to a young Yankees fan.

Oh that kid's face. Talk about a moment to remember.

No idea who this guy is but he's amazing.

If anyone knows who or where this is, please share. Totally made my day.

Kitten discovers a sun beam.

I mean, it just doesn't get cuter than that. Kittens win, hands down.

Gamer's girlfriend surprises him with a visit from an online friend he's had for 10 years.

Proof that "virtual" friendships can be real friendships. So sweet.

This chipmunk's reaction to tasting an almond for the first time.

May we all experience something this week that gives us such rapturous pause.

Hope those little bits of joy made you smile. Come back next week for another roundup!

@thehalfdeaddad/TikTok

Dad on TikTok shared how he addressed his son's bullying.

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

Single dadPatrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.


The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.
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Family

Badass bikers show up for abused children, offering advocacy and protection

They become an abused child's "biker family," and they let the child—and everyone else—know that NO ONE messes with their family.

When you are a child who has been abused by people who are supposed to protect you, how do you feel safe?

That question is the heart of Bikers Against Child Abuse International (B.A.C.A.), an organization dedicated to creating "a safer environment for abused children." With specific training and extensive security checks, the frequently big and burly members of B.A.C.A. serve as protectors of chid abuse survivors, giving vulnerable children people to call on when they feel scared, and even showing up in court when a child asks them to.

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Photo by Igor Ferreira on Unsplash

Florida principal fired after showing statue of "David."

If you ask most teachers why they went into education, they'll share that it had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with their passion for teaching. Even with rapid changes in curriculum and policies, teachers who remain in the classroom are lovers of education and are doing their best to help kids learn.

Hope Carrasquilla, the former principal of Florida's Tallahassee Classical School, was one of those teachers who simply enjoyed teaching. As the principal, Carrasquilla was required to teach two classes. During her sixth grade lesson about Renaissance art, which is also a requirement of the school, Carrasquilla showed a picture of Michelangelo's "David" statue.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, three parents complained about their children being shown the picture. Two of those parents were mostly upset that there wasn't sufficient notice given before the photo of the sculpture was shown. The third parent reportedly complained that the statue of the Biblical figure was pornographic.

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When Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi both landed their high jumps at 2.37 meters, they were in the battle for Olympic gold. But when both jumpers missed the next mark—the Olympic record of 2.39 meters—three times each, they were officially tied for first place.

In such a tie, the athletes would usually do a "jump-off" to determine who wins gold and who wins silver. But as the official began to explain the options to Barshim and Tamberi, Barshim asked, "Can we have two golds?"

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via YouTube

These days, we could all use something to smile about, and few things do a better job at it than watching actor Christopher Walken dance.

A few years back, some genius at HuffPo Entertainment put together a clip featuring Walken dancing in 50 of his films, and it was taken down. But it re-emerged in 2014 and the world has been a better place for it.

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English metal detector hobbyist finds a real treasure near Nottingham.

A retired merchant navy engineer in England has found a treasure that would have made his country’s most popular folk hero proud. Graham Harrison, a 64-year-old metal detector enthusiast, discovered a gold signet ring that once belonged to the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The discovery was made on a farm in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, 26.9 miles from Sherwood Forest. The forest is known worldwide for being the mythological home of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. A central road that traversed the forest was notorious in Medieval times for being an easy place for bandits to rob travelers going to and from London.

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