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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

From delightful dancers to devoted delivery drivers to duck-loving doggos, here's this week's roundup of joy.

kid dancing on stage, dog in raincoat holding bag of duck food, kids joyfully hugging in a classroom

So much to smile about in this week's roundup

People are quite remarkable creatures, aren't we? We're capable of such goodness, altruism, compassion, creativity, joy—so many qualities that make the world a better place.

We're here to celebrate what makes humanity great, and this week's list of 10 things taps right into the heart of human awesomeness. (With a few adorable animals included as well, for good measure.)

If you're looking for a resaon to smile, we've got 10 of them for you right here. Enjoy!


1. UPS delivery driver goes above and beyond to hide a gift from a woman's fiancé

@ayoohannah

please enjoy my interaction with the best UPS Driver ***back story: I had a birthday gift delivered for my fiancé and i knew that the packaging was obvious & would give it away; so this is what my delivery driver did… he lied & all for me 🤣😅💃🤷🏼‍♀️🥳😂😭

Give Rick a raise. And allll the tips.

2. Kiddo returns to his old school and gets a welcome back that he'll never forget

Cayson! What a sweet bunch of kiddos. If this is the future, it's lookin' bright.

3. Speaking of awesome kiddos, check out how this young fella has his whole financial future planned out

@linsfam33

It was 10:30 on a Friday night. Our youngest had been quiet. So quiet that i thought he had gone to bed. Nope. He was just preparing a finacial presentation for us. 😂 #collegeplan #financialliteracy #fridaynight #kidsarethebest

Seriously, most of us full-on adults don't have this much number-crunching prowess. Read the full story here.

4. Good Boy Ollie goes out to visit the ducks and it's too wholesome and adorable

@good.boy.ollie

His favourite quack-tivity 🦆 🌧 #dogsftiktok #rain #ducks #labrador

SUCH a good boy, Ollie! And his little raincoat? Stop it.

5. Kid simply cannot contain his dance and his energy is infectious

Well, that was just about the greatest thing ever, eh? Go, kiddo, go.

6. The Freedom Singers from Skid Row blow everyone away with their version of 'Under the Bridge'

It has a whole new meaning coming from these talented singers. Read the full story here.

7. A woman asked people to bring dogs by her house to celebrate her dad's 100th birthday—and 200 showed up

Now that's pawrty!

8. Let's all agree to support one another like this cafe where a Ph.D candidate worked on their dissertation

More holding people "in life-affirming community," please.

9. And when we fall, let's pick one another up and keep going

This truly is what it's all about.

10. And if we have to fight, let's make it a fight like these baby sheep

So stinkin' adorable.

Hope that brought your heart some joy and delight!

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The gaze of the approving Boomer.

Over the past few years, Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964) have been getting a lot of grief from the generations that came after them, Gen X (1965 to 1980), Millenials (1981 to 1996), and now, Gen Z (1997 to 2012). Their grievances include environmental destruction, wealth hoarding, political polarization, and being judgemental when they don’t understand how hard it is for younger people to make it in America these days.

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Klein Kwagga understood the assignment at his sister's concert.

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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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Lots of people give plenty of advice to help you cope in the early days but after the baby arrives, the focus shifts to solely the baby. It's obviously not a deliberate shift. Babies are just more shiny and new that the parents. But not everyone forgets about the parents once baby makes their grand entrance–some go out of their way to make sure the parents feel supported.

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Canva

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Identity

Formerly enslaved man's response to his 'master' wanting him back is a literary masterpiece

"I would rather stay here and starve — and die, if it come to that — than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters."

A photo of Jordan Anderson.

In 1825, at the approximate age of 8, Jordan Anderson (sometimes spelled "Jordon") was sold into slavery and would live as a servant of the Anderson family for 39 years. In 1864, the Union Army camped out on the Anderson plantation and he and his wife, Amanda, were liberated. The couple eventually made it safely to Dayton, Ohio, where, in July 1865, Jordan received a letter from his former owner, Colonel P.H. Anderson. The letter kindly asked Jordan to return to work on the plantation because it had fallen into disarray during the war.

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The letter mentions a "Miss Mary" (Col. Anderson's Wife), "Martha" (Col. Anderson's daughter), Henry (most likely Col. Anderson's son), and George Carter (a local carpenter).

Dayton, Ohio,
August 7, 1865
To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee

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