An adorable little girl named Gabby who was adopted when she was four years old by a couple in Dallas, Texas, is melting hearts. In a viral video, she explains to her mom what it was like to be adopted and what she thought the first time she saw her new parents. Watch to see her incredible explanation.
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A safe, stable home can change lives for the better. Here’s how Habitat for Humanity wants to make that possible for everyone.
Better health, better jobs, and a brighter future all start with access to a safe, affordable home.
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Volunteers raise a wall for the framework of a new home during the first day of building at Habitat for Humanity’s 2025 Carter Work Project. Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Marsha and her son pose for a photo while building their future home with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Georgia. Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.
Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:- Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
- Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
- Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60+ countries where we work around the globe
- Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
- Shop or donate at your local Habitat ReStore
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
Visit habitat.org/open-door to learn more and get involved today.
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An American in Paris explains European ‘bridge holidays’ and people are fascinated
In France, May is an idea, not a month.
It’s no secret that work culture in Europe is a lot different from what it is in the United States. Europeans often get more time off and work fewer hours overall. Even so, you have to really live there to understand just how different things are.
Justyn Lee is doing exactly that. He is an American living and working in Paris, and even he was surprised after moving there to discover a few new things about the work culture. One major takeaway? In France, the month of May barely exists.
American living in Paris explains “le pont”
In a LinkedIn post, Lee explains that France has four official holidays in the month of May. That’s kind of a lot, but not totally unusual compared to what Americans are used to. In November, we have Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, while in January there’s New Year’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In France, there’s Labour Day, Victory in Europe Day, Ascension Thursday, and Whit Monday.
However, he notes that “France does not operate on days. It operates on proximity.”
Lee then explains something called “le pont,” which means “the bridge.” Whenever a holiday, or a day off from work, lands in the middle of the week, most companies just go ahead and make “the days in between disappear.”
Americans are familiar with “the bridge” in a few scenarios. Most businesses are closed the Friday after Thanksgiving, for example. But in France, while it’s not legally mandated, it’s culturally accepted that most holidays turn into a four-day weekend.
Lee says people take this opportunity to travel, go on vacation, or rest, only occasionally checking in on work. “Let’s circle back in June” is a common refrain.
“May is not a month,” he writes. “C’est la vie.”
It’s not just France that likes to stretch its holiday weekends
The concept of “bridge holidays” is almost universal across European and Latin American work cultures. It exists under different names in France, Germany (Brückentage), Spain (hacer puente), Brazil (imprensar/emendar/enforcar), and more.
There are tons of reasons for this extremely liberal vacation policy. European and Latin American countries have strong labor unions that protect workers’ rights, and most have universal healthcare, which lowers the economic pressures associated with working.
Though bridge holidays and large amounts of paid time off are not completely universal, the U.S. does seem to be in the minority by not participating.
How do countries like France keep the “trains running,” so to speak, in the month of May and other months full of holidays? Essential services are often still open, as are shops and small businesses in big cities like Paris. Tourism workers may not get such an extended break at the same time, since everyone is vacationing. But otherwise, typical office workers have a cultural agreement that non-urgent emails and meetings can simply…wait.
Europeans chime in with a knowing nod
Lee’s post struck a chord on LinkedIn, where dozens of commenters were eager to share their thoughts.
“Love this post!” Marta Pastoriza Ares commented. “Haha Something veeery similar happens in Spain as well, and we also call it ‘hacer puente’ (bridging those bank holidays with the days ‘in between’). A culture trait I refuse to leave behind. Not ever!”
“Very similar approach in Brazil when it comes to holidays,” Carolina O. Fraiel said. “We call it ‘imprensar’ (to squeeze), ’emendar’ (to connect) and ‘enforcar’ (to choke). And all it means is that people hope for holidays on Tuesdays and Thursdays to make the most of it.”
“Very, very similar in Germany, we even also call those days between holidays and weekends ‘Brückentage’ (bridge days),” Alexander Lichanow said. “I would love to see US hustlebros froth and fume over this blatant disregard for grind culture.”
Shahana Shaikh was fascinated by the unwritten rules in action: “Interesting how work culture isn’t just rules it’s the unwritten norms people quietly follow. Sometimes, without anything being formally announced, everyone just aligns around a shared rhythm. It shows that culture isn’t what’s written in policy, but what people actually practice every day.”
And finally, Tim McNerney drew a humorous parallel to life in the U.S.: “European AE: Right guys, it’s July 31st. I’ll see you in September. Out of office is on. Leaving my work laptop at home. Don’t try and contact me. American AE: kidney surgery is tomorrow. Bring the docusigns by my bed, and I’ll make sure we get the red lines covered before they put me under. I should be good for the on-site the next morning too.”
Americans in the comments were a bit flabbergasted to learn the meaning behind “le pont.” But would bridge holidays even work in America?
Without federally mandated paid time off and some major changes to the cultural infrastructure, probably not. Americans also tend to get higher salaries than their European counterparts, and they like it that way.
But that’s not to say that it’s all doom and gloom for overworked Americans.
After COVID-19 and the work-from-home boom, many workers have found themselves with more flexibility than their office jobs previously allowed. In addition to formal “bridges” around Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s become more normal for workplaces to be “quiet” around the holidays or during certain stretches of the summer.
This understanding could become even more normalized in the coming years.
The key thing that makes it work in France, though, is the social contract. There’s an unspoken agreement that life is more important than work, and things that aren’t urgent are sometimes going to have to wait. It’s an approach that we could, and probably should, adopt a little more of here at home.
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Young woman surprises 87-year-old neighbor who lives alone by paying off his hearing aid bill
“He’s definitely not just our neighbor anymore, he’s family,” Julissa Gomez tells Upworthy.
Julissa Gomez, 28, and Delmar Harter, 87, are unlikely best friends, but it’s a bond that’s been building for a decade.
“We met Delmar over 10 years ago when my parents bought their home in 2015,” Julissa tells Upworthy. “At first, our relationship was taking him to church and sharing meals here and there. But over time, we noticed that he was often alone during holidays and birthdays.”
Over the years, Julissa and Delmar have been through many ups and downs of life together that has made their friendship stronger.
“Delmar showed up for us in one of the hardest moments of our lives when my father passed away [in 2020], and that kind of kindness says everything about who he is. He’s definitely not just our neighbor anymore, he’s family,” she adds.
Delmar’s hearing aids are paid off
Gomez was able to surprise Delmar with the good news. Thanks to the success of the children’s book they wrote together called The Friendship Next Door with Delmar (published in 2025), was able to pay off his costly hearing aids. Gomez shared an emotional video on social media, with Delmar wiping tears from his eyes.
“His reaction was very emotional,” she tells Upworthy. “He was so grateful and honestly a bit overwhelmed. Seeing that joy and relief on his face reminded us exactly why we started all of this. It was a really special moment for all of us.”
With years of friendship under their belt, the pair wanted to share their story in a book that “encourages kids and people of all ages to be kinder and try to get to know your neighbors,” Julissa adds.
The goal was to help raise money to support Delmar’s living expenses and health needs.
“We are so happy to now say that the book is now helping with his living expenses and things like his hearing aids,” she says. “Before he would just rely on his social security check, but now because of the power of the Internet his bills are all paid for.”
How Julissa and Delmar became family
When they first met in 2015, Julissa and her family embraced Delmar entirely.
“We made it a point to start celebrating those days with him. After so many years of holidays, birthdays, and any special occasion that we celebrated together we then welcomed him into our family, and he truly became a part of it.” she shares.
Julissa also notes that, “Delmar never married and his family live in other states, so we are the closest family he has now.”
Julissa’s husband, Anthony, has also become close with Delmar.
“After my dad passed away in 2020, my husband Anthony stepped in and took on a big role in continuing the love and care we had built as a family. Since then, my husband and Delmar have formed such a special bond. They are best of friends.”
Julissa hopes that her friendship with Delmar can inspire others.
“If there’s one thing we want people to take away, it’s that kindness doesn’t have to be big to make an impact,” she says. “Simply showing up for someone, especially during the times they feel most alone, can truly change a life.”
Viewers respond
Many people were touched by Julissa and Delmar’s friendship, as well as the good news of Delmar’s hearing aids being paid off:
“I love him so so so much truly your story is the BEST.”
“As a millennial grown woman that never saw any of my grandparents maternal or paternal this is a gem. You’re so blessed to have found a soul needing of love and attention.”
“Oh now I’m cryingggg.”
“I know his mama looking down on you with so much love for taking care of her baby boy ❤️.”
“Something about an older man tearing up 🥹.”
“😭😭😭 I can’t stop crying. I’m happy that Grandpa Delmar is happy. Damn I’m just thankful he found the both of you.”
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The real inspiration for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is far more heartbreaking than the fairytale
Beneath the legend was a family navigating lives shaped by exploitation.
Beauty and the Beast is a fairytale-turned-Disney movie that virtually everyone on the planet is familiar with. But very few know that it was said to be based on a true—and deeply tragic—story.
A boy taken from his home
In 1537, at just 10 years old, a boy named Pedro Gonzalez was taken from his home in the Canary Islands and presented to King Henry II of France as a novelty gift because of his genetic condition, known today as congenital hypertrichosis, which causes the entire body to be covered in hair.
Despite his “wild” appearance, Gonzalez seemed docile, inspiring the king to experiment with turning the supposed savage into a gentleman under the revised Latin name Petrus Gonsalvus.
Gonsalvus grew up to be an educated, respected member of the court. At least, as respected as a man with his condition could be. However, there would be one more experiment awaiting him.
Petrus Gonsalvus. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons That moment would arrive in his twenties, after his protector, Henry II, died in a jousting accident on July 10, 1559. Ownership of him now belonged to the infamously cruel Catherine de Medici.
Medici arranged a marriage between Gonsalvus and another Catherine without ever mentioning her soon-to-be husband’s condition to the bride.
Petrus Gonsalvus and his wife Catherine by Joris Hoefnagel. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons The family that became a spectacle
Hypertrichosis has dominant traits and therefore easily passes down to children, which the Gonsalvus family soon discovered. The pair had seven children, four of whom were covered in hair.
It wasn’t long before the “wild family” became a traveling sideshow of sorts, fascinating onlookers, painters, scientists, and nobles throughout Europe. Portraits of the family circulated among royal courts, where they were studied less as people and more as curiosities. Sadly, the Gonsalvuses would eventually be separated as, much like their father, several of the children were sold or gifted away as oddities.
Children of Petrus Gonsalvus by Joris Hoefnagel. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons Gonsalvus and his wife died within six years of each other, in 1618 and 1623, respectively, in Italy, though their graves were never located.
How their story may have shaped a classic fairytale
Fast forward to 1740, when a French author by the name of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve published La Belle et la Bête (French for Beauty and the Beast) in a collection of stories titled La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins (The Young American and Marine Tales).
While Villeneuve never explicitly confirmed Gonsalvus as an inspiration, historians have pointed out striking similarities between the real-life family and the famous tale: a gentle, intelligent man judged almost entirely for his appearance; a woman unexpectedly placed into a marriage she did not choose; and a relationship that slowly grew through familiarity and understanding.
The Disney version then transformed the story into one filled with singing teacups, enchanted castles, and a hopeful ending. As we now know, the real history behind it paints a far sadder picture of how society once treated people who looked outside the norm.
Centuries later, the story of Petrus Gonsalvus continues to fascinate people because it reveals just how easily humanity can blur the line between curiosity and cruelty. Beneath the legend, the paintings, and the fairytale comparisons was simply a family navigating lives shaped by exploitation they never asked for.
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Fashion expert explains why ‘survival bias’ makes it seem like 19th century Victorian gowns were much smaller than they were
“Bodies of all shapes and sizes have always existed.”
It’s often fascinating how history is written. Perhaps it’s not for nefarious reasons, but it can lead to misconceptions about the reality of the past. From history to art to fashion, we see through certain filters often applied without us knowing.Fashion historian Dr. Serena Dyer has become popular online for sharing what clothing trends looked like decade by decade through the centuries. In a recent clip posted to social media, she shares a video of a 19th century gown with a thirty-nine inch waist. She points out that despite often seeing much smaller garments from this time period, larger ones were actually quite as common.
Thirty-nine inch waist
Dyer explains why this phenomenon happens. “This Victorian gown has a thirty-nine inch waist,” she begins. “And in the 19th century, this was not uncommon. Survival bias means that garments with enough fabric to be remade were recycled or worn as fancy dress. But tiny garments that were too small to be re-worn were disproportionately preserved in our attics and museum collections.”
We zoom in on the exquisite brown silk garment. “This chocolate brown silk gown from 1864 in the collection of Bankfield Museum is a rare, glorious exception. Its large skirt, supported by a crinoline, and curvy bust supported the Victorian emphasis on proportion over tininess. So let’s stop pretending that the eighteen-inch waist was the standard and start accepting that bodies of all shapes and sizes have always existed.”
The clip delighted some of the commenters. One Facebooker wrote, “Love this!! I adore the dresses from the era and have always thought, thank goodness I did not live back then, those dresses would look awful on me. Now I see they are just as beautiful in normal sizes!!”
Survival bias
In the piece, “Understanding Survival Bias in Vintage Plus-Size Clothing”, licensed aesthetician, makeup artist, massage therapist, and fashion expert who goes by Christine “The Glambassador,” explains what survival bias is and gives an example, unrelated to fashion. “Survival bias occurs when we form conclusions based only on what has lasted over time while overlooking everything that didn’t survive. A classic example of this comes from WWII, when statistician Abraham Wald analyzed bullet holes on returning planes. The military initially thought they should reinforce the areas that had been hit, but Wald realized they were only looking at the planes that made it back—meaning the planes that didn’t return were likely hit in the areas without visible damage.”
She then reiterates what Dyer posted in her clip: “How does this relate to vintage plus-size fashion? The reality is that plus-size garments were often worn more frequently, handed down to younger family members, or altered over time, meaning they simply didn’t survive as well as their smaller counterparts. Unlike smaller garments, which were often stored away and preserved, larger garments had a higher likelihood of being used until they were unwearable.”
1930s
On “The Glambassador”‘s YouTube page one person shared a similar bias from the 1930s in the comments, writing, “I have a quilt made in the 1930s by my great-grandmother from the scraps of clothing during the 1930s. She told us that it was cheaper to cut down outgrown childrens’ clothing and make quilt than it was to buy a new blanket at the time. So, yeah, that was also something that happened to clothing at the time – remaking garments into quilts, throws, or even toweling.”
“Curation is an art form”
In a 2024 paper for New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study, one student writer explains that relics of fashion or art in general are not only selection-biased, but often at the whim of the curators. “The priorities within museum curatorship dangerously contribute to our connection with the past by utilizing a limited selection of women’s garments to represent a general population. Curation is an art form. A curator’s choices can shape how visitors understand a topic or time period. Deciding what to display and where to place it creates a narrative of the topic the exhibition delves into, all for visitors to interpret as they explore each piece of art.”
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Millennial asks Gen Zers what they do for fun, and the answers are surprisingly different
There’s something very different about Gen Z.
The coming-of-age era known as your twenties are a time for experimentation, branching out, learning about different aspects of yourself, and of course, having stupid fun.
Of course, every generation‘s definition of fun varies. Just what might Gen Zers, those who navigated their teenhood through TikTok and basically came of drinking age during a global pandemic, do to elicit feelings of fun?
Millennial content creator Ashley Tea wondered this very thing. In a video that went viral on TikTok in late 2023, she shared “I genuinely think millennials got to have a way better time than Gen Z does.”
Millennials are already nostalgic about their glory days
Tea then reminisced about her own experience of being “an emo kid in 2005,” going out to clubs, bars, and restaurants with her friends having a “fun, great, trashy” time.
That simply wouldn’t be financially feasible in today’s economic landscape, Tea noted, leaving her “mystified” as to how today’s college-age adults might enjoy themselves.
So again, Tea posed the question: “it’s a Friday night, a Saturday night…What do you do? Where do you go?”
Gen Z’s answers to this question were eye-opening
The responses to Tea’s question were illuminating, to say the least, and certainly different than how she spent her early 20s.
For starters, Tea’s joke about “Gen Zers not having any fun at all” rang true for many people of that age group.
“As a 23 year old: I don’t have any fun, hope that helps!” quipped one person.
Another joked, “sometimes I sit outside if I’m feeling extra.”
One obvious factor behind this is finances. With everything being far more expensive, many Gen Zers simply cannot afford to have a social life that resembles earlier generations.
“As a 21 year old, the economy makes it difficult to have fun that way, I work 40 hours weekly and I’m either too tired or can’t afford it,” one person wrote.
Another reason, which isn’t maybe as obvious, is surveillance. Tea noted that a lot of young people said that since either of their “parents can track their phones everywhere,” they are deterred from doing things that could get them into trouble. Perhaps that’s a win for safety, but there is something to be said about excessive levels of control.
Then of course there’s the pandemic, which sucked the fun out of everything big time
“I got ROBBED of my early 20s bs COVID started when I was 22 Nwo things are normal but all the good bars and clubs in my area didn’t survive the lockdown,” one person wrote.
Plus, there’s a lack of third places to gather, leaving very little options beside staying home and scrolling on TikTok.
So what does Gen Z actually do for fun?
However, it’s not all gloom and doom, Tea discovered.
For one thing, Gen Zers don’t “glorify binge drinking” nearly as much as Millennials and Gen Xers. According to recent research, Gen Z is drinking significantly less than previous generations, with nearly two-thirds planning to cut back or abstain entirely.Part of this comes down to Gen Z prioritizing health and wellness more than previous generations, and another part is the cost.
When Gen Zers do actually have fun, it tends to lean towards more wholesome activities, like house parties (sometimes even themed house parties) and crocheting. Lots and lots crocheting apparently.
Grocery stores are the new clubs.
Then there’s self care, which genuinely is fun:
Love that self care is considered entertainment these days.
As promised, crocheting and taking care of one’s body are really all the rage with Gen Z:
Fitness groups are a new way people are finding friends.
And who doesn’t love a good coffee shop?
Though of course, hanging out in coffee shops isn’t exactly anything new.
Gen Z will be just fine
So maybe things look quite a bit different for Gen Z than Millennials or other generations.
That’s not entirely a good or bad thing, and it’s definitely to be expected in some ways. The struggle of rising costs and limited opportunities to form connections and have fun are undeniably issues that must be addressed. But the fact that Gen Zers are leaning into their creativity is worth noting too. If nothing else, it makes it clear that even though it might not look like it, there is still fun to be had.
Now, I wonder what Gen Alpha’s young adult fun will look like in a few year’s time? If their slang is any indicator, it’s going to be weird.
We’ll get back to you on that. But, honestly, more power to them.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
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Mister Rogers’ crew once pranked him during his opening song. His reaction was so very him.
He really was such a delightful human.
Fred Rogers was truly one of humanity’s greats, in every sense that counts most. He wasn’t a titan of industry or a builder of empires. He wasn’t a man of great means or a wielder of political power. He was humble, gentle, and kind. He was a teacher, a learner, and a leader in his own way.
For generations of children, he was a consistent voice of compassion, curiosity, and caring. He was a calm haven in our television set, a safe space where we always knew we were loved just the way we are.
And yet he was strong, too, just not in the way we often think of strength. He was a fierce defender of children and a champion of justice. His testimony before Congress about public television totally turned around the sentiments of a senator who was extremely skeptical before Rogers started speaking. He wasn’t forceful and he didn’t yell or cry; he just shared his feelings, indicated his trust in the senator’s conscience, and explained the value of quality children’s television programming in a way that was impossible to disregard.
Watch:
No one could deny the wholesome awesomeness of Rogers. He was the real thing, tried and true, through and through and the world misses him greatly.He was exactly the same off camera
It’s quite well known that Rogers was the same man off-screen as he was on his show, and a video of his cast and crew pranking him once during his opening song offers a bit of delightful proof.
Watch:
Seriously, he was the most delightful human. His laugh when he sticks his foot in the second shoe. Priceless. His “Thanks ever so much” was epic.The internet can’t get enough of this clip
People have responded to the video on Reddit with gushing praise.
“Mr. Rogers thanking that man for a delightful practical joke just changed something in me for the better,” wrote one commenter. “Off to go thank my husband for some stuff.”
“What a magical person that just a clip of him having a laugh is making me well up,” wrote another.
“My childhood was a scary place but when I turned on Mr. Roger’s, it all disappeared for awhile,” shared another. “Thank you for being a light to so many children. May you Rest In Peace.”
“An amazing human being and an utterly sweet person,” wrote another. “We should all aspire to be the person Mr. Rogers knew we could be.”
Indeed, we should.
Even Candid Camera couldn’t rattle him
Fred Rogers’ response to the prank was not only a look into his kind and gentle character, but his consistency as well. In a 1998 episode of the prank show, Candid Camera, host Peter Funt played a prank on Rogers and he responded just as kindly and wholesomely as he did before. Rogers is staying in a hotel while attending a PBS conference where he will be the keynote speaker. Hoping to frustrate him, Funt (as a bellhop) relays to Rogers that his room has no TV (that’s the gag!). Instead of responding with annoyance, however, Rogers surprises Funt and viewers by kindly saying he “doesn’t use the television anyway” and has “enough TV in [his] life.”
The interaction is as sweet and kind as Fred Rogers always was.
Watch:
The shoe prank outtake can be found on the Mister Rogers Neighborhood website, which also houses tons of content about the show, the neighbors, the puppets, and Fred Rogers himself. They also upload five full, new episodes every other Monday for fans to enjoy. The first Monday of the month features episodes from the early years (1968-1975), and the third Monday of the month features episodes from the “Theme Weeks” (1979-2001). Fans can also watch Mister Rogers Neighborhood on PBS Kids,Pluto TV, and Prime Video.
There may be many wonderful people who walk this earth, but there will never be another Fred Rogers. What a precious gift that we have so many hours of him on film to enjoy and share with generations to come.
This article originally appeared five years ago. It has been updated.
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Wisconsin teen delivers on lifelong promise to take his grandma to prom
“It’s so special.”
When Avant Williams was just a toddler, he made a promise to his grandma, Svala Heller. While sweet, promises from kids around age two aren’t expected to be kept. But now in his junior year of high school, Williams kept his 14-year-old promise and took his grandmother to his prom.
“Since I was like a little kid, my grandma’s been telling me she wanted to go to prom. It’s her dream, and then today I just feel like I should make that come true,” Williams said to KBTX News through WXWO.
Grandma’s first prom experience
“She didn’t have a prom, so then my junior year of prom she told me I have to take her, so that’s why we’re here,” Williams said with a big smile.
Heller grew up in Iceland where high school proms aren’t common. However, she was intrigued and loved the idea from years of watching American television. Many shows she watched featured the extravagance of the high school dance.
“I’ve always wanted to go to a prom,” said Heller. “Watching American TV and all that glamour that goes with it, and you know, for 14 years he’s been saying, ‘Yeah, one day I will take you to prom.’”
Williams enjoyed having his grandma as his prom date alongside his best friend, Ruben Smith. After having dinner together, all suited and dressed to the nines, they went to the La Crosse Central High School prom in Wisconsin.
“I was definitely excited,” said Williams. “I mean, I’ve only been looking up to this moment since I was like two years old. So, like it’s a big deal for my grandma, and it’s like I feel very special that I can take her to this prom.”
Grandson and grandmother’s big dance
Heller got to have everything about prom she dreamed about. Posing for pictures with Williams and his friends, dancing, and everything else the American teens she saw on television experienced. Only for Heller, it was even better enjoying it with her loving grandson.
“It’s so special,” said Heller. “We have such a special bond. I’m just taking every, every inch in and just enjoying every moment.”
Being her grandson’s prom date won’t just be a wonderful memory for Heller, but a lasting one for Williams.
“It means the world to me. Like, I love my grandma. She’s been there for me like my whole life. I’m just happy I can make her dream come true,” he said.
Other grandson/grandmother prom pairings
Over the years, there have been other grandsons who have taken their grandmothers to the big high school dance. In 2014, Ohio teen Austin Dennison took his 89-year-old great-grandmother “Granny DD” to his prom because she couldn’t afford to go when she was a high schooler. South Carolina student Connor Campbell took his 93-year-old grandmother to his prom in 2017. In 2022, North Dakota student Dakota Wollen took his great-grandmother to what was both his and her first prom.
Traditionally, prom is a ritual to celebrate that current generation before they get into adulthood. It can create lasting fond memories as that teen grows into adulthood. However, based on Williams, Heller, and other grandson-grandmother prom pairings, it can also create wonderful family memories, too.
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Little girl helps struggling musician neighbor go viral with wholesome paper-plane song request
This is how neighboring should be.
Most neighbor stories begin with a simple wave across the driveway or a quick introduction by the mailbox. In Lakewood, Ohio, however, one friendship started with a paper airplane carrying a Taylor Swift song request.
As reported by WKYC-TV, eight-year-old Madeline Glynn heard guitar music floating in from the yard next door and immediately wanted to hear one particular song. There was just one problem: She didn’t know the neighbor yet.
Instead of barging into the backyard, Madeline came up with her own solution.
With help from her mom, Natalie Hulec, she folded a paper airplane, wrote a note requesting “Love Story” by Taylor Swift (great choice), and sent it soaring over the fence separating the two homes.
Waiting on the other side was 26-year-old musician Ethan Hayes.
A neighbor willing to say yes
Hayes had recently moved into the neighborhood last fall and spends much of his time playing music. He performs covers at bars and wineries while also writing songs of his own. Guitar became part of his life during the COVID-19 lockdown, and singing followed a few years later.
That day, he just so happened to be sitting outside practicing when the airplane landed in his yard.
Madeline’s stepdad, Russ Hulec, explained the situation through the window.
“Hey man, my daughter threw a paper plane over. She has a request,” Russ can be heard saying in the clip.
“Am I going to say no? Absolutely not,” Hayes recalled. So without skipping a beat, he pulled up the lyrics to “Love Story” and started playing. From the other side of the fence, Madeline enthusiastically sang along word for word.
One family video became something much bigger
Natalie recorded the exchange because, understandably, it felt like one of those parenting moments she’d cherish forever. Thinking friends and relatives might enjoy the clip as well, she uploaded it to TikTok.
Instead, millions of people watched.
Madeline woke up to news that the video had exploded online. She eagerly called relatives to share the excitement, repeating the same thrilled phrase again and again: “I’m famous! I’m famous!”
Meanwhile, Hayes had no idea any of it was happening until people started sending him the video.
“I didn’t know she was recording. I didn’t hear them singing along. I was just playing the song,” he told WKYC-TV.
The gift that keeps on giving
The sweet neighborly exchange garnered thousands of positive comments from viewers, many of whom encouraged others to check out Hayes’ music on Spotify.
For Hayes, the response means much more than bringing attention to his work.
“What are we if we don’t have each other?” he asked. “Community is one of the most important things. As things get hard, it’s always nice to have somebody to lean on.”
Once strangers, the two households are now planning future cookouts and summer hangouts. And yes, more paper-plane song requests are very welcome.
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