7 things that made us happy this week

We work hard at Upworthy to bring you humanity at its best to counter all of the negative stories that get far too much attention. As part of that commitment, we've started making lists of the positive news stories we come across each week that make us especially happy.
Some of them have been shared on our platform, while some we didn't quite have the time to get to, but still believe they deserve some attention.
1. Cranes are returning to Ireland for the first time in 300 years
Cranes: Flying giant returning to Ireland after 300 years https://dlvr.it/RzjXQv\u00a0pic.twitter.com/8gqijpanCB— Amit kumar (@Amit kumar) 1621100737
The crane is an important figure in Irish folklore but sadly has been missing from the country for three centuries. Over the past two years, a few have reappeared during mating season and ecologists hope they will re-establish their population.
2. School bus driver says kindergartners' relentless questioning made armed hijacker let them go
.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Hero bus driver Kenneth Corbin speaks out about how he kept his cool and kept children safe during an armed hijacking. https://gma.abc/33OOFdx\u00a0pic.twitter.com/gkXI6hu4AN— Good Morning America (@Good Morning America) 1621251680
A school bus driver in South Carolina was honored for thwarting an attempted hijacking. However, he says the true heroes are his kindergarten passengers who peppered the hijacker with relentless questions.
3. Sister memorializes her deceased brother with Masters dissertation
Molly Schiller lost her brother six years ago to a heart condition. She just submitted her Masters dissertation researching the condition that took him from her.
4. Marcus Rashford: British soccer player becomes youngest to top Sunday Times Giving List
via Wikimedia Commons
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, 23, was honored for successfully lobbying the UK government to continue providing free school meals during the coronavirus lockdown. He has since formed a child poverty task force, linking up with some of the nation's biggest supermarkets and food brands.
5. This is what inclusion looks like
Kudos to Tumble Activity for giving disabled people what they deserve. All spaces should be designed and built with different abilities in mind.
6. A Sikh man becomes the first fan ever inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame
Today was a dream.\nIn the greatest building basketball has, the name Superfan Nav Bhatia will be immortalized.There is now a turban and the first fan honoured within Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. I am overcome with emotions today.\n @ADBPhotoIncpic.twitter.com/TFe7cpwDAK— Nav Bhatia Superfan (@Nav Bhatia Superfan) 1621212118
Toronto Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia's name was immortalized over the weekend when he joined the ranks of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Wilt Chamberlain in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bhatia became the first fan ever inducted because for being a wonderful example of how sports can bring people together.
7. Boy gets 3D-printed hands, grips bottle for the first time
Boy gets 3D-printed hands, grips bottle for first time | CNN Video https://buff.ly/2sDm0Js\u00a0 #innovation #happynewyear2020 #happynewyearpic.twitter.com/KqnJryjOjJ— Change Healthcare (@Change Healthcare) 1577927762
Thanks to a 3D printer, 11-year-old Gavin Sumner can grip and hold things for the first time in his life. He looks pretty happy about it.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."