+
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week​

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

smiley face smile
Photo via br_ruy/Canva

Need a reason to smile? How about 10 of them?

Did you know that baby owls' heads are too heavy for their little bodies to hold up all the time, so they sleep on their stomachs and it's the cutest thing ever?

Did you know that otters like to have their hands rubbed by humans?

Did you know that Kevin Bacon singing a Beyoncé song with his guitar while being surrounded by goats was a thing?

There's so much to learn in this week's list of things that made us smile!


From our adorable animal friends to our awesome fellow humans doing awesome things, here are 10 delightful finds from around the internet to lift your spirit and give you a feel-good boost.

Otter loves it when a human holds and rubs its little hands and the bliss is too much.

Look at that face. I get it, little otter. Hand massages are highly underrated.

Baby owls sleep on their stomachs because they can't hold their honking heads up for too long.

This is one of those things that sounds fake, but isn't. Dr. Heather Hinam, conservation biologist, confirmed it. Entirely too hilarious.

Speaking of owls … the way owls run looks like a cartoon.

Oh my gosh, why are their legs so long and why do they look like they're picking up their trousers and sneaking around? Can't handle it.

Bono made a sweet animatic honoring his 40-year marriage to his wife, Ali.

Bono and Ali started dating the same year that U2 formed and 40 years later he still refers to her as his "soulmate." Four decades is an impressive run for any couple, but practically unheard of for a world-famous rockstar. (I see you, Jon Bon Jovi!) Read the full story here.

These brothers caring for their baby sister after she fell asleep in her high chair is so dang sweet.

@stevenbb12345

#amor #dehijos #💓💓

No idea what the backstory is on these kiddos, but clearly they've been raised to take good care of their sister. The way the older one jumped into action and the smile on the younger one's face before he snuggled her up are just precious.

Kevin Bacon sings Beyoncé surrounded by goats in the most unexpectedly delightful video.

This is the cover no one asked for but everyone finds themselves bopping to. What a combo. Read the full story here.

This 3-year-old loves her "Creepy Chloe" doll and Disney embraced her in the best way.

Creepy Chloe accompanied Briar to Disney World and had a special, spooky day.

Photos courtesy of Brittany Beard

Kids are quirky, and 3-year-old Briar Rose's choice of doll makes that clear. Disney World cast members totally went above and beyond when she brought "Creepy Chloe" to the Magic Kingdom, giving her some spooky treats, taking some fun portraits and making her an Honorary Caretaker of the Haunted Mansion. So fun. Read the full story here.

This bird trying to land a lady with his wing-waving, headless peek-a-boo dance

Bro, you're going way too hard here. Very entertaining, though.

Brodie the famous floof visits kids in the children's hospital and it's sheer joy.

Nobody can suppress a smile when they see Brodie. What a sweet way to bring some joy to these kids' day.

It's Labor Day weekend! Let's celebrate like this cat, with an epically awesome nap.

May we all find a space and time when we can be this relaxed.

Hope this list brought a smile or six to your face! Have a fabulous weekend and come back again next week for another serotonin-boosting roundup.

@rexartistry/TikTok

One generation is way better about taking up space.

While millennials and Gen Zer’s often get lumped together as the “young group,” they are certainly not the same. (Although, it is kind of hard to tell with all the Y2K fashion floating around.)

But speaking as a millennial, we definitely have different approaches to life, a lot of which seems to come down to a sense of self-assuredness. That goes for shopping, socializing, self expression…and even going to the hair salon, apparently.

Alexis Rex (@rex.artistry), hairstylist and owner of Rex Artistry Salon in Maryland, gave a brilliant (and hilarious) demonstration of some key personality differences between her millennial clients and her Gen Z clients in a now viral TikTok video.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Heroic sanitation workers save abducted, 10-year-old girl while on their trash route

"I was just doing my job man. I was just doing my job and actually came across somebody who needed help."

via Dion Merrick / Facebook

This article originally appeared on 02.09.21


At 1:30 am on Monday morning an AMBER Alert went out in southern Louisiana about a missing 10-year-old girl from New Iberia. It was believed she had been kidnapped and driven away in a 2012 silver Nissan Altima.

A few hours later at 7 am, Dion Merrick and Brandon Antoine, sanitation workers for Pelican Waste, were on their daily route when they noticed a vehicle that fit the description in the alert.

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo courtesy of Kara Coley.

This article originally appeared on January 24, 2018


Kara Coley, a bartender at Sipps in Gulfport, Mississippi, got an unusual phone call on the job last week.

"Good evening," Coley answered. "Thank you for calling Sipps!"

A woman on the other end of the line asked, "Is this a gay bar?"

Sipps welcomes everyone, Coley explained to her, but indeed attracts a mostly LGBTQ crowd.



Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Adorable 'Haka baby' dance offers a sweet window into Maori culture

Stop what you're doing and let this awesomeness wash over you.

This article originally appeared on 01.28.21


If you've never seen a Maori haka performed, you're missing out.

The Maori are the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, and their language and customs are an integral part of the island nation. One of the most recognizable Maori traditions outside of New Zealand is the haka, a ceremonial dance or challenge usually performed in a group. The haka represents the pride, strength, and unity of a tribe and is characterized by foot-stamping, body slapping, tongue protrusions, and rhythmic chanting.

Haka is performed at weddings as a sign of reverence and respect for the bride and groom and are also frequently seen before sports competitions, such as rugby matches.

Keep ReadingShow less

Dad knows lots of things … just not who this Taylor Swift guy is.

This story originally appeared on 06.17.22


There are many traditional staples of fatherhood—love, support, protection, security, providing an example—but there is, of course, that other not-so-warm-and-fuzzy feeling that dads can provoke in their kids at any given moment … sheer, utter embarrassment.

Usually in a father’s humiliation tool belt is the infamous dad joke. These corny puns have been around since 2003, and let’s face it, they’ll never leave. Of course, no dad needs one to make your eyes roll. They can do that most of the time simply by being themselves.

For his well-known #Hashtags segment, Jimmy Fallon asked his “Tonight Show” audience to share “funny, weird, or embarrassing” stories about their dads. Fallon, a father himself, is no stranger to the cringeworthy power of a dad joke. In a 2020 interview with TODAY, Fallon admitted, “I’m starting to get the eye rolls now where Daddy’s not the funniest person in the world.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Democracy

Ret. Major General explains the difference between an AR-15 and the military's weapons of war

Major General Paul Eaton was the commander in charge of training Iraqi troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He knows his weapons.

Retired Major General Paul Eaton shared his thoughts on whether the AR-15 is a "weapon of war."

This article originally appeared on 06.04.22


A common criticism gun rights activists levy toward gun legislation advocates is that many people who push for stricter gun laws don’t know a lot about guns themselves. That’s not wholly accurate—there are plenty of gun enthusiasts who support reasonable gun laws—but it’s true that many people who are horrified by our nation’s gun culture are not well-versed on the specifications of our nation’s 393 million guns.

Not every American is an active part of American “gun culture." Some of us have never shot a firearm, for fun or otherwise. Some of us really are ignorant about guns themselves.

Keep ReadingShow less