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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

kid designing a dress, elderly woman sharing a story, cat at a pottery wheel
@couture.to.the.max and @hunter_prosper (via Upworthy/Instagram), @CatWorkers/Instagram

This week's list brings us uniquely talented people and creatures, from a 6-year-old fashion design prodigy to a cat crafting pawttery.

Hey all! Time for another Upworthy roundup of joy!

We've got a plethora of talent in this week's 10 things, from singing South African firefighters to 6-year-old fashion designers to the world's fastest Rubik's Cube solver. We've even got a cat making pottery, for goodness sake. What could be better?

When you need a break from the heavy headlines and media melee, Upworthy's got you covered. Dive into these fun finds from this week and get your smile on!

1. South African firefighters bring their skills to Canada to help fight wildfires with the best energy ever

Is that not the greatest airport arrival ever? Canada and the smoke-affected U.S. thank you, South Africa!

2. Guy skillfully fast raps Dr. Seuss books and it's just awesome to witness

@jordansimons4

Rappin “Dr. Seuss’s ABC” by Dr. Seuss! #rappinrhymebooks #DrSeuss #FYP #fyp #foryourpage #rap #bars

Pretty sure this is how Dr. Seuss always intended his books to be read, despite his books predating rap music by more than three decades. See more of Jordan Simons' Seuss raps here.

3. Check out this 6-year-old fashion design prodigy making a custom dress for afriend

Like, what?!? Those are not easy-to-sew fabrics, either! Gorgeous dress. Way to go, Max.

4. American speed cuber Max Park breaks World Record, solving a 3x3 Rubik's Cube in 3.13 seconds

Not three minutes—three seconds. What we see at first was just a warmup. Once the scrambled cube was revealed, he had 10 seconds to examine it before making any moves. Just don't blink once he starts. Absolutely bonkers.

5. Danish 'recycle artist' builds enormously endearing trolls as part of an ongoing global art project

Thomas Dambo troll sculptures

Trolls Isak Heartstone 1.0 (originally built in Breckenridge, Colorado) and Mama Mimi (built in Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

Photos courtesy of Thomas Dambo

Thomas Dambo has spent the past nine years building huge trolls all around the world to draw attention to humanity's relationship with nature. Each troll is made of recycled wood materials and each one has its own unique name and backstory. This summer he's touring the U.S. to build 10 more of these gentle giants. See where the new trolls are going to pop up here.

6. Submitting a formal request for all the cat-crafted pottery, please

Or perhaps pawttery is the correct term. Genuinely would pay good money for one of thess pawts.

7. Clever doggo plays the 'pick a cup' game with the most human-like responses

Seriously, though, those captions are exactly what that dog is thinking. There's no other explanation. And those eyes at the end? Give that pup all the treats, stat.

8. This 94-years-old's description of her marriage is a touching testimony to love's longevity

And how about being this sharp at 94! Love her and love her story.

9. Woman finds her mom's best childhood friend from 50 years ago and the reunion is adorable

Swipe through to see the reunion video. Fifty years! So much joy.

10. When someone sings 'You Are My Sunshine,' you sing along, even when you're a squeaky doggo

Is it just me or did it look like the pup was tearing up? What a reaction. Feel those feelings, friend!

Hope you found a few reasons to smile in this week's roundup! If you'd like these posts delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our free email newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

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Parenting

When a Patagonia employee breastfed her baby in a meeting her male VP's response was a masterclass in workplace values

Talk about a "family-friendly workplace."

Holly Morissette/LinkedIn

Years after it happened, Patagonia's approach to the "family-friendly workplace" is a whole new level that still deserves our attention - and praise.

The outdoor clothing and gear company has made a name for itself by putting its money where its mouth is. From creating backpacks out of 100% recycled materials to donating their $10 million tax cut to fight climate change to refusing to sell to clients who harm the environment, Patagonia leads by example.

That dedication to principle is clear in its policies for parents who work for them, as evidenced by a 2019 viral post from Holly Morisette, a recruiter at Patagonia.

Morisette wrote on LinkedIn:

"While nursing my baby during a morning meeting the other day after a recent return from maternity leave, our VP (Dean Carter) turned to me and said...'There is no way to measure the ROI on that. But I know it's huge.'

It got me thinking...with the immense gratitude that I have for on-site childcare at Patagonia comes a responsibility to share a 'call to action'. A PSA to tout the extraordinary benefits that come along with not asking employees to make the gut wrenching decision to either leave their jobs or leave their babies. TO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS OR LEAVE THEIR BABIES. That perhaps just one person will brave the subject with their employer (big or small) in the hopes that it gets the wheels turning to think differently about how to truly support working families.

That with a bit of creativity, and a whole lot of guts, companies can create a workplace where mothers aren't hiding in broom closets pumping milk, but rather visiting their babies for large doses of love and serotonin before returning to their work and kicking ass.

It's no wonder that Patagonia has 100% retention of moms. Keeping them close to their babies keeps them engaged. And engaged mothers (and fathers!) get stuff done. Thank you, Patagonia, for leading the way. "


Holly Morissette on LinkedIn: "While nursing my baby during a morning meeting the other day after a recent return from maternity leave, our VP (Dean Carter) turned to me and said..."There is no way to measure the ROI on that. But I know it's huge." It got me thinking...with the immense gratitude that I have for on-site childcare at Patagonia comes a responsibility to share a “call to action". A PSA to tout the extraordinary benefits that come along with not asking employees to make the gut wrenching decision to either leave their jobs or leave their babies. TO HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS OR LEAVE THEIR BABIES. That perhaps just one person will brave the subject with their employer (big or small) in the hopes that it gets the wheels turning to think differently about how to truly support working families. That with a bit of creativity, and a whole lot of guts, companies can create a workplace where mothers aren't hiding in broom closets pumping milk, but rather visiting their babies for large doses of love and serotonin before returning to their work and kicking ass. It's no wonder that Patagonia has 100% retention of moms. Keeping them close to their babies keeps them engaged. And engaged mothers (and fathers!) get stuff done. Thank you, Patagonia, for leading the way. " www.linkedin.com


Just the first eight words of Morisette's post are extraordinary. "While nursing my baby during a morning meeting..."

As if that's totally normal. As if everyone understands that working moms can be much more engaged and efficient in their jobs if they can feed their baby while they go over sales figures. As if the long-held belief that life and work must be completely separate is a construct that deserves to be challenged.

And then the comment from her male colleague about the ROI (Return on Investment) of breastfeeding—witty, considering the time and place, and yet so supportive.

On-site childcare so that parents don't have to choose between leaving their jobs or leaving their babies. Letting life integrate with work so that working families don't have to constantly feel torn in two different directions. Flexibility in meetings and schedules. Allowing for the natural rhythms and needs of breastfeeders. Making childcare as easy and accessible as possible so that employees can be more effective in their jobs.

All of this seems so profoundly logical, it's a wonder that more companies have not figured this out sooner. Clearly, it works. I mean, who has ever heard of a 100% retention rate for mothers?

Patagonia's got it goin' on. Let's hope more companies take their lead.


This article originally appeared on 8.16.19

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Family

Mom has TikTok viewers in stitches after revealing she got her son's birthday wrong—for years

Images via Unsplash

Emily Vondy's mom fail.

Sometimes, we have to just laugh at our failures.

“Here’s a little story to allow all the moms of littles out there to maybe feel a little better about yourself,” Emily Vondy told her 1.3 million TikTok followers.

In a TikTok video that has now garnered more than 500,000 views, Vondy shared perhaps one of the most hilarious “mom fail” stories of all time: forgetting her son’s actual birthdate.

After a recent trip to the pediatrician, Vondy was ready to give her insurance company the ol’ what for, after being told her son’s birthday was February 25.

“Per my words: ‘my son’s birthday is the 26th. I’m his mother. I know his birthday,’” Vondy affirmed. Emphatically so.

@thevondyfam How’s your day going? #momfail #mombrain #parenting101 #sahm ♬ original sound - Emily Vondy

A quick scroll through Facebook to find the original birth date announcement proved the correct birthdate was, in fact, the 25th. Whoops.

“For two years I’ve been celebrating his birthday on the 26th!” exclaimed Vondy.

To make matters worse, Vondy revealed this was her middle child. My, my, how stereotypes manifest themselves.

She then shouted “I love my kids! They may not have their birthday celebration on the correct day but they celebrate it the next!” She then hilariously tried to sign off with a quick “Merry Christmas,” only to realize “Christmas is over!”

We get it, Vondy. What is time, anyway?

Parents and children alike delivered comments nearly as entertaining as the video itself:


If you enjoy Vondy’s ultra silly charm (that definitely gives off Amy Poehler vibes, no?), you’re in luck. Her channel is full of truly delightful videos that capture parenting life in a real, yet comical way.

I mean, just look at her music video promoting the meal delivery service Home Chef, complete with a “no prep two step.”

@thevondyfam #ad They had me at “oven ready” 💙 use code VONDY90 for $90 off. Link in Bio #hookedonhomechef ♬ original sound - Emily Vondy

Or her Target rap that no one asked for but everyone needs.

@thevondyfam My official application to be sponsored by target 😅 #momcontent #target #targetfinds #momcomedy ♬ original sound - Emily Vondy

Or eating a large pizza less than half an hour after giving birth.

@thevondyfam #answer to @Leo | IG: leocaballes THE BEST pizza I’ve ever eaten. #laboranddelivery #birthstory #birthcenterbirth ♬ original sound - Emily Vondy

Yes, mama. Treat yo’ self.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I’m off to go check my birth certificate to see if I’ve been living a lie.


This article originally appeared on 1.25.22


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Internet

Woman's rare antique turned away from 'Antique Roadshow' for beautiful heart-wrenching reason

"I just love you for bringing it in and thank you so much for making me so sad."

Photos by Murat Rahim Caglak and Antoni Shkraba via Canva

Woman's antique turned away from 'Antique Roadshow'

People come by things in all sorts of ways. Sometimes you find something while at a garage sale and sometimes it's because a family member passed away and it was left to them. After coming into possession of the item, the owner may be tempted to see how much it's worth so it can be documented for insurance purposes or sold.

On a recent episode of BBC One's Antique Roadshow, a woman brought an ivory bracelet to be appraised. Interestingly enough, the expert didn't meet this rare find with excitement, but appeared somber. The antique expert, Ronnie Archer-Morgan carefully explains the purpose of the bracelet in what appears to be a tense emotional exchange.

There would be no appraisal of this antique ivory bracelet adorned with beautiful script around the circumference. Archer-Morgan gives a brief disclaimer that he and the Antique Roadshow disapprove of the trade of ivory, though that was not his reason for refusing the ivory bangle.

"This ivory bangle here is not about trading in ivory, it’s about trading in human life, and it’s probably one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever had to talk about. But talk about it we must," Archer-Morgan says.

Turns out the woman had no idea what she had in her possession as she purchased it from an estate sale over 30 years before. One of the elderly residents she cared for passed away and the woman found the ivory bracelet among the things being sold. Finding the bangle particularly intriguing with the fancy inscription around it, she decided to purchase the unique piece of jewelry.

After explaining that his great-grandmother was once enslaved in Nova Scotia, Canada before being returned to Sierra Leone, Archer-Morgan concluded he could not price the item.

"I just don’t want to value it. I do not want to put a price on something that signifies such an awful business. But the value is in the lessons that this can tell people," he tells the woman.

In the end the woman leaves without knowing the monetary value of the item but with a wealth of knowledge she didn't have before visiting. Now she can continue to share the significance of the antique with others. Watch the full explanation below.

This article originally appeared on 4.3.24

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Family

Anxious mom-to-be asked what parents 'love about having children' and the responses were beautiful

"I think the reason it seems like parenthood is all bad is it’s easy to describe the bad parts and impossible to describe the good parts because they are so good they are other-worldly."

via PixaBay

Twitter users agree that parenting is more joy than work.

The thought of having children can be overwhelming for a lot of people. People who have kids often warn those without them that their kid is going to take over their entire life. They complain that children are extremely expensive and that you’ll never get a good night’s sleep until the child has turned 4.

Now, I have a 5-year-old and the only thing that’s really true is that children cost a lot of money. A big chunk of the cash you spend on a kid is for food. Mine never stops eating. He eats as much as I do and I’m a 45-year-old man.

I hear him say, “Dad, I’m hungry. Can I have some food?” at least six times a day.

I also don’t think that children take over your entire life unless you let them. It’s a sliding scale. When they’re a newborn, they own 90% of your life and you only have the remaining 10%. But, by the time they’re 5, you get about half your life back. While that still seems pretty sad, it’s not a huge problem. Having kids teaches you to be a lot better at time management and to take advantage of free time when it’s available.

When it comes to sleep, smart parents sleep train their kids at a young age so that everyone in the family can get a good night’s rest. It’s not easy, but it pays huge dividends.

Rose Stokes, an award-winning freelance columnist in London, recently learned that she is pregnant and was very anxious about having a kid because of all the things she’s heard from people with kids. So she took to Twitter to ask parents to tell her what they “love about having children” to give her a more positive perspective.

Stokes received a ton of incredibly positive responses from people who truly love having children. They eased her mind by telling her that she would experience the greatest love of her life after having children. They told her that being a parent is one of the funniest experiences she’ll ever have.

The parents of Twitter also made an important point: Children make you a better person. I always think about parenting as a stress test on your personality. If you want to know what’s wrong with you, have a kid. You’ll quickly figure out all of your weaknesses. The good thing is that once we know our weaknesses we can fix them.

Here are some of the best responses to Stoke's question: “Parents of Twitter, what big or small things do you love about having children?”

It's hard to describe what it's like to have a child.

There are a lot of joyous moments.

Children change your perspective.

It's hard but worthwhile.

It's not as hard as people say.

They make you a better person.

They're fun and funny.

The great thing about asking a wide swath of humanity about a common experience is that you get so many great perspectives on the matter. Some parents shared the emotional experiences that come with having children. While others focused on how kids can fundamentally change your life. After reading through most of the responses, I think that Stokes probably got a clear idea about what having a child is like.

Well done, Twitter.


This article originally appeared on 2.4.22

















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Science

Incredible video shows a baby hawk nearly becoming eagle food. It becomes family instead.

Being adorable is a fantastic defense mechanism.

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One of these things is not like the other.

Sometimes, life can unexpectedly snatch you away from safety and thrust you into imminent danger. Other times, life can just as quickly turn a dire circumstance into a heartwarming miracle.

Such was the case for a baby hawk who went from being dinner to being adopted by a family of bald eagles near the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia, Canada. The amazing moment was captured by a 24-hour livestream webcam run by GROWLS, a nonprofit organization that helps rescue and rehabilitate injured wildlife.

The video shows the seemingly doomed baby hawk being tossed into an eaglet’s nest. Pam McCartney, a GROWLS volunteer who had been watching the livestream at the time, braced herself.

"Usually when I watch, like, David Attenborough and his shows, I can close my eyes or fast forward or whatever, but this was live at the time, and I was just like, oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh," she told CBC.

Much to her surprise, nature seemed to have something else in mind.

The baby hawk had inexplicably survived the eagle’s talons, which in itself was an extraordinary feat according to ornithologist and Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Biology at Montreal's McGill University, David Bird, who shared the story on a segment of the radio show “As It Happens.” Yes, a guy who studies birds has the last name Bird. It’s too perfect.

In an even rarer phenomenon, the hawkling was spared by both the mother and baby eagle once they realized it was alive and moving around. McCartney shared that by that evening both chicks were being cared for. Her guess is that it might have something to do with the eagle family having recently lost one of the two eaglets.

"In my mind of growing up on Disney, I'm seeing this eaglet think like, ‘was this another little sibling?'" she told CBC.

As mind boggling as it is, this is not the first hawk adoption story to hit the area. In 2017, a young red-tailed hawk, nicknamed Spunky, made headlines after being raised by a pair of bald eagles.

Bird told CBC that, while Spunky did require support from an extended family of scientists (primarily because hawks and eagles feed on different prey), it was still ultimately a success. Spunky is “alive and well,' which is a good omen for this new baby hawk.

So far, the birds are one big, happy family, McCartney reports, with plenty of “raptor kisses” for everyone.

hawk eagle nest, video hawk eagle adoption

Behold! A hawk-eagle!

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Families really do come in many different shapes and sizes, all across the food chain.


This article originally appeared on 6.23.22

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