+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
Joy

3-year-old perfectly articulates what makes friendship so beautiful

Emi's adorable description of her friend Frankie reflects friendship at all stages of life.

preschooler, bike, parenting, friendship
@katyrobinbird/Instagram

Preschoolers are the best philosophers.

Preschoolers make the best philosophers, especially when they surprise us by simplifying something in a truly profound way.

Take, for example, little Emi, who managed to sum up the meaning of friendship perfectly at just 3 years old.

Katy-Robin Garton was riding Emi home on her bike during her first week of preschool when they started talking about Emi's day. Garton is a documentary filmmaker in Missoula, Montana, and she had a GoPro attached to the bike for something else she was filming. She also had Emi mic'd up because she likes to be able to hear her talking while they ride together.

"I've always had really lovely conversations with the kids on the ride home on the bike or in the car," Garton tells Upworthy. She has learned through interviewing people for documentaries that how you ask questions makes all the difference. Rather than asking her kids "How was your day?" or "What did you do today?" she asks them specific questions to trigger their memories about the day, which helps to get them to open up.

On this ride, Garton asked Emi who she had sat next to at her table at school that day. That got Emi talking about her friend Frankie, and the conversation evolved into a beautiful testimony of friendship that people of all ages can appreciate.

Garton asked Emi what she loves about Frankie, and Emi said she was funny, which led to a revelation about how friends can bring out our funny sides.

"When she laughs, that makes me that I'm funny," said Emi. "When she puts some of her funniness into myness, she makes me even funnier, and she still has that funniness." Maybe a 3-year-old way of saying it, but it makes perfect sense.

Then she hit at the heart of what friendship is as she described how Frankie makes her feel better when she's not OK.

"When I get super scared and new teachers are with me, I just run over to Frankie. And I'm still crying, and then she laughs, and then I laugh, and then we just get better and better and better and better.

"She's my best friend in the whole entire world. I wish she could be with us because she is the special-est."

So. Darn. Sweet. And honestly, so profound in such a simple way. Friends are the people we can run to when we're upset and who help us feel better just by being themselves.

Garton is raising three young children—two 3-year-olds and a 6-year-old—and she's conscientious about talking through feelings with her kids. However, Emi's deep thoughts on this bike ride still took her by surprise.

"I hadn't talked to her about how friends make us feel," says Garton. "I mean maybe I did over time, because we're always having mindful conscious conversations—we try to—with our kids about 'How does someone make you feel? Do you like being around them?' Those kinds of thoughts. But she's kind of put it together on her own."

Garton says the response to her and Emi's conversation made it clear that Emi's musings on her friendship with Frankie are what we all need to hear.

"We forget to check in, like, 'What do I need in a friendship? How should a friendship make me feel?' as adults, and here was my 3-year-old talking about it in such a simple way," says Garton. "And the response that I saw from people was so heartwarming, just thousands of people tagging their besties, saying 'You're my Frankie!' It was just beautiful. Like it wasn't just for parents, it was for everyone."

If you have a Frankie in your life, be sure to let them know they're the special-est. For more of Emi's adorable wisdom, follow @katyrobinbird on Instagram.

From Your Site Articles
Badge
P&G
Proctor and Gamble
Joy

Know someone doing major good in the world? Share their story and win $1,000 for charity with Upworthy & P&G’s #ActsOfGood Awards

Do good. Win big for the charity of your choice.

True

In a flurry of heavy headlines that constantly inundate our feeds, acts of good connect us back to our faith in humanity. Witnessing just one person go out of their way to make the world a better place is a powerful healing salve against apathy. It reminds us all of what we are collectively capable of creating. This is the philosophy that Upworthy wholeheartedly believes in, hence why we’re always sharing uplifting stories of people giving kindness, generosity and support to their fellow humans.

That’s also why we’re partnering with P&G, the maker of some of our favorite household products like Tide, Always and Pampers, to bring you the 2023 Acts of Good Awards, and celebrate the individuals who are giving back and strengthening their communities.

Think of it like the Oscars of kindness. Half as formal but twice as feel-good.

Besides providing the world with brands we know and trust, P&G is a company doing good acts, whether it’s supporting hygiene education, helping struggling communities gain access to basic necessities or delivering essentials for families impacted by disasters.

Keep ReadingShow less
acts of good
Joy

Watch this 13-year-old dancer blow away the professional choreographer who danced with her

Phil Wright said, he 'got smoked.' Yup.

Phil Wright/Instagram

Mariandrea Villegas dancing with Phil Wright at The Dance Awards.

Humans may not always recognize greatness right away, but sometimes it's so clear it simply can't be denied.

You don't have to be a dancer yourself to see when someone's got moves, and a viral video from choreographer Phil Wright spotlights a kid who's got moves. Like, wow.

Mariandrea Villegas may be tiny, but she packs a mighty amount of energy, skill, coordination and x-factor into her dancing. Oh and joy. Did I mention joy?

Keep ReadingShow less
Badge
Acuvue
Acuvue
Sponsored

ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

True

If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

Keep ReadingShow less
social media
Internet

Divorce attorney shares why working moms are leaving their marriages

Women are not shocked by his answer.

Cottonbro from Pexels|Canva - Dennis Vetrano Jr.|TikTok

Working moms are filing for divorce more often

Being a parent is a full time job but without the money and health benefits. Kissing scrapped knees, planning meals, scheduling doctor appointments, extracurricular activities, PTO meetings, the list could go on for days. But in today's society many women with children not only work inside the home but outside as well because a two income household is necessary in many cases. So why are moms leaving their marriages to do it all on their own?

Divorce attorney, Dennis Vetrano Jr. posted a video to TikTok that has over 7.4 million views, explaining the rise of working moms filing for divorce. The revelation came as no surprise to women or other divorce attorneys who commented under Vetrano's video but it may be surprising to some men.

You know how there's that saying that girls mature faster than boys, the initiation of divorce by working moms may be a continuation of that notion.

Keep ReadingShow less
working moms
Science

Researchers dumped tons of coffee waste into a forest. This is what it looks like now.

30 dump truck loads and two years later, the forest looks totally different.

assets.rebelmouse.io

One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.

So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.

Keep ReadingShow less
climate change

Curvy and Confident: These stylish retro swimsuits empower every body type

Unleash your inner pinup with swimwear from Unique Vintage

Editor's Note: Upworthy earns revenue from the items shared in this story


Body positivity and empowerment have become essential aspects of the fashion world, and swimwear is no exception. Embracing your curves and feeling confident in your own skin should be a universal experience. Luckily, finding that confidence is easier than ever, thanks to Unique Vintage. With their stylish, retro-inspired swimsuits, everyone can unleash their inner pinup and feel fabulous at the beach or by the pool.


Sign up for texts or emails and
GET 20% OFF
unique vintage swimwear
Unique Vintage Swimwear
Prices start at $32


Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Turns out there's a scientific reason kids aren't cold when adults are freezing

Teens in shorts and hoodies while there's snow on the ground aren't as cold as parents think.

Photo by Darran Shen on Unsplash

Kids really aren't that cold in the winter and science proves it.

The argument to wear warm clothes when temperatures dip is a rite of passage in parenting. It never fails—you're either locked in a heated debate with a tiny human who just learned to speak a year ago or rolling your eyes as your teenager leaves the house in shorts when it's 30 degrees outside. Reasoning with your child to put on proper pants for the weather simply evolves as they get older.

Seemingly, once kids reach a certain age, parents stop trying to convince them that coats, hats and gloves are designed to be more than closet ornaments. But it turns out that kids might be on to something, or at least know their temperature comfort levels better than the adults around them. Recently, Vox explored why children seem to be unfazed by weather that sends most adults back inside the house to grab a wool hat and a winter coat.

Keep ReadingShow less
kids & teens
Science

We need more trains. Video shows why it's so expensive to build them in America.

We're the sixth most expensive place to build rail transit in the world.

via Nic Y-C/Unsplash

The A Train in New York City

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, heavy rail transit such as subways and metros produce 76% fewer greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than an average single-occupancy vehicle. That makes them one of the most essential tools for fighting climate change.

However, according to a new report from CNBC, the United States is the sixth most expensive country worldwide for building rail transit.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure law that included the country's most significant investment in public transportation. According to CNBC, the U.S. is expected to spend between $91 billion and $108 billion on local public transit through 2026. With all that money at stake, using it effectively will be key.

Keep ReadingShow less
public transit
Trending Stories