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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Enjoy these humans being awesome and excellent to one another.

uplifting, joy, smiles

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

Mark your calendars, folks, because today is an Upworthy "10 things that made us smile this week" first.

For the past year, we've been sharing these weekly roundups of joy and delight from around the internet. And inevitably—because they are such obvious sources of joy and delight—animals have featured prominently in these posts. Who can resist a hilariously adorable doggo video, right? I mean, it's an easy win. Smiles for days.

But this week, for the first time, all 10 posts are all about us. Just us humans. People being awesome and excellent to one another. Truly the best of humanity.


Don't worry, I'm 100% sure that our animal friends will make a comeback next week. (In fact, I'll make sure of it.) But the fact that there were too many people being too amazing to squeeze in any cute pets or funny wildlife videos this time around gives me hope. There's a lot of dark stuff happening out there, but there are also beacons of light all around us to remind us that people are all right.

So without further ado, enjoy this week's collection of fabulous humans.

1. Check out Scarlett rocking her first inclusive playground experience.

@kelsey___ward

#inclusiveplayground #inclusionmatters #disabilityawareness #mobilityaid #accesabilityforall #gaittrainer #medicalmom #nevergiveup #disabilitytiktok #disabilityaccessability #specialneedsfamily #smobraces #crocodilewalker #MakeASplash

The way her brothers are so excited to play with her on all the equipment and how thrilled she is to be able to enjoy the playground fully. So awesome.

2. Pottery artist leaves gorgeous "free art" in random places for people to find and keep.

Kim Press of Sailing Adrift Studios does "art drops" where she leaves a piece of handmade pottery someplace she visits, then shares the stories of the people who find them on her website. Imagine the joy of stumbling across one of these in your travels! Read the full story here.

3. A mom in Ukraine got her son to flee by telling him they were going to meet John Cena. Then Cena made it happen.

John Cena meets teen who fled Ukraine

Misha has Down Syndrome and had a hard time understanding why his family had to flee Mariupol when their home was destroyed in the Russian invasion. His mom made up a story about meeting his hero, John Cena, to keep him motivated on their long journey to safety. Cena saw their story and made it actually happen. Such a big heart. Read the full story here.

4. This grandpa saved his grandkid's Playmobil characters exactly as they put them to bed when they were 6.

Grandpas are the best. What a wonderful find.

5. The smooth moves of Norah, Yarah and Rosa could make anybody want to get up and dance.

I'd probably hurt myself trying to dance like they do, but it sure is fun to watch. That slo-mo part? So good.

6. A guy caught a baseball in the stands, then gave it to a kid. The kid returned the favor a few innings later.

See? People being excellent to one another. Love to see it.

7. News anchor donates his epic tie collection to younger professionals just starting out.

Tim Pham accidentally created his own charity with his massive tie collection, paying his success forward to up-and-coming professionals who need a tie. I mean, "Phamily Ties"? Amazing. Read the full story here.

8. These brothers saying goodbye to the youngest brother's crib is peak sibling sweetness.

The way they articulate their compassion for one another. And this: "When I always go in to check on him when he's still asleep, it's gorgeous." OH MY HEART. The brotherly love is too much.

9. That time Mr. Rogers got pranked by his cast and crew and his reaction was perfectly him.

This world desperately misses everything about Mr. Rogers. That is all.

10. Finally, this guy's Moana dance is just … LOL.

@real_madara_dusal

#moana #dancechallenge

His face. His timing. How much rehearsing did he have to do? I love that people are like this.

Hope that gave you a little jolt of joy and hope for humanity. Come back next week for another roundup of awesome people—and yes, adorable animals as well.

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



Upworthy book

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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Family

A recently-deceased mom became a celebrity after her kids' published stunningly clever obituary

“I finally have the smoking hot body I have always wanted… having been cremated.”

The Hamilton Spectator

RIP Sybil Marie Hicks

It's said that everyone dies twice. The first is your physical death, the second is the last time anyone utters your name.

Sybil Marie Hicks, from Baysville, Ontario, died on February 2, at the age of 81, but it'll be a long time before her name is forgotten. Her children have turned her into a posthumous celebrity after writing a hilarious first-person obituary for her that was published in The Hamilton Spectator on February 5, 2019.

According to her daughter, it was fitting tribute.

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Brielle Asero lost her job after 2 months.

TikTokker Brielle Asero, 21, a recent college graduate, went viral on TikTok in October for her emotional reaction to the first day at a 9-to-5 job. The video, which received 3.4 million views, captured the public’s attention because it was like a cultural Rorschach test.

Some who saw the video thought that Asero came off as entitled and exemplified the younger generation’s lack of work ethic. In contrast, others sympathized with the young woman who is just beginning to understand how hard it is to find work-life balance in modern-day America.

“I’m so upset,” she says in the video. "I get on the train at 7:30 a.m., and I don't get home until 6:15 p.m. [at the] earliest. I don't have time to do anything!" Asero said in a video.

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Gordon Ramsay at play... work.


Gordon Ramsay is not exactly known for being nice.

Or patient.

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On his competition show "Hell's Kitchen," he belittles cooks who can't keep up. If people come to him with their problems, he berates them. If someone is struggling to get something right in the kitchen, he curses them out.

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I told a kid a riddle my dad told me when I was 7. His answer proves how far we've come.

This classic riddle takes on new meaning as our world changes for the better.




When I was 7, my dad told me a riddle.

"A man and his son are driving in their car when they are hit by a tractor-trailer.

Photo via iStock.

(We were driving at the time, so of course this was the riddle he decided to tell.)

The father dies instantly.

The son is badly injured. Paramedics rush him to the hospital.

Photo via iStock.

As he is being wheeled into the operating room, the surgeon takes one look the boy and says:

'I can't operate on him. He's my son.'

How is that possible?!"

Without missing a beat, I answered:

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Know the signs of a domestic abuser.

Most abusers don't start their relationships by hitting their partners. That's why early warning signs are vital to recognize.

I know two women who recently left abusive partners. Both men seemed sweet and likable—even gentle—each time I saw them. Both had some lovely qualities as people and even as partners. And both turned out to be controlling, increasingly abusive partners behind closed doors.


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