Dictionary.com’s ‘word of the year for 2021’ is here, and it’s surprisingly perfect
Dictionary.com has officially announced its 2021 word of the year, and that word is: Allyship Despite the plethora of divisive stories this year—debates about vaccines, gun safety, education, abortion, the validity of conspiracy theories—this word has prevailed in our collective consciousness. And that alone indicates something much more uplifting: What matters most to people is…
Dictionary.com has officially announced its 2021 word of the year, and that word is:
Allyship
Despite the plethora of divisive stories this year—debates about vaccines, gun safety, education, abortion, the validity of conspiracy theories—this word has prevailed in our collective consciousness. And that alone indicates something much more uplifting: What matters most to people is helping one another.
Stemming from “alliance” (meaning the “merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, states or organizations,” according to Dictionary.com) “allyship” had only been added to the platform a month before earning the 2021 title. And in this year alone, it was in the top 850 searches out of thousands and thousands of words, and its frequency of use has surged 700% since 2020.
? The word allyship combines the noun ally, “a person who advocates for or supports a marginalized or politicized group but is not a member of the group,” and -ship, a suffix denoting “status, condition.” (2/11) https://t.co/xo8qd7d8ox
1. advocates and actively works for the inclusion of a marginalized or politicized group in all areas of society but is not a member of that group, and acts in solidarity with its struggle and point of view and under its leadership.
2. the relationship of persons, groups or nations associating and cooperating with one another for a common cause or purpose.
"Vaccine" is Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year. The word was selected based on lookup data, notable spikes, and year-over-year increases in searches. https://t.co/NQLOsh6CNB
At first glance, “allyship” might appear better suited for 2020, following George Floyd’s death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. And with searing headlines of political discord, pessimistic outlooks on the pandemic and an overall dismal public view of humanity, “allyship” seems … a less than optimal choice. Did they consider “vaccine” like Merriam Webster did? Or “variant”? How about “Delta”? Surely these options better reflect the times?
Associate Director of Content & Education John Kelly noted, “It might be a surprising choice for some,” but “in the past few decades, the term has evolved to take on a more nuanced and specific meaning. It is continuing to evolve and we saw that in many ways.”
Allyship has now extended to frontline workers, teachers and parents who have gained support and advocacy during the pandemic.
“This year, we saw a lot of businesses and organizations very prominently, publicly, beginning efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Allyship is tied to that. In the classroom, there is a flashpoint around the term ‘critical race theory’. Allyship connects with this as well,” Kelly said.
The site also noted how a theme of genuine, nonperformative allyship was at the center of many “defining new stories of 2021” that made a lasting positive impact, from Simone Biles and the mental health of athletes to the Great Resignation and workplace burnout.
“These events were notable not only in their own right, of course, but also because of the ways we largely reacted to and discussed them through the lens of who gets a voice, who deserves empathy, and who and what is valued. This was a lens of allyship,” according to Dictionary.com.
When the world is looked at through this lens, perhaps the path toward 2022 is more compassionate and collaborative than our fears would indicate. And perhaps we can take a more elevated view of what it means to be an ally. At the end of the day, we could all use a little more friends and a little less enemies.
From Pakistan to Tanzania, the most effective education solutions are community-led. Here’s how local leaders, in partnership with Malala Fund and supported by Pura, are mobilizing entire communities.
When asked to describe what Tanzania smells like, Grace Isekore closes her eyes and breathes in deep. For a moment, she’s somewhere else entirely. Tanzania is a rich tapestry of sights and scents, from the smell of sea mist that permeates the coastline to the earthy cardamom and cloves she cooks with in her kitchen. But when Grace emerges from her reverie, her answer is unexpected.
“Tanzania smells like peace,” she says, her eyes still closed. “I see a beautiful country where we are free to move, free to speak. And there is peace within the community.”
For Grace, that sense of peace isn’t just something she smells; it’s something she works toward every day. As a project coordinator with Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC), a women-led organization that empowers pastoralist communities in northern Tanzania, she has seen firsthand how girls flourish when they have the opportunity to attend school. Like scent, education not only connects girls to their own culture, but also helps broaden their horizons, realizing new possibilities for themselves and others. That transformation reshapes entire communities and ripples outward, with the potential to change countries and transform the world for the better.
Different scents, different approaches, and communities driving change
Spices in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura
For Grace and others around the world, education is freedom, as well as a pathway to a stronger community. Rooted in that shared belief, Pura, a home fragrance company, was inspired to build on their four-year partnership with Malala Fund to create something truly unique: a fragrance collection that connects people through scent to communities in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil, where barriers to girls’ education are among the highest.
Using ingredients from each region, the new Pura x Malala Fund Collection uses scent to transport people to these regions directly. “Future in Bloom,” for example, invokes Pakistan’s lush valleys through notes of jasmine, cedarwood, and mango; while Tanzania’s fragrance, “Heart on Fire,” evokes the spirit and joyfulness of the girls who live there through cardamom, lemon, and green tea.
The new Collection honors the work Malala Fund does every day, partnering with locally-led organizations in these four countries to ensure every girl can access and complete 12 years of education. Each scent celebrates the joy, tenacity, and courage of the women and girls driving change on the ground, while also augmenting Pura’s annual grant to Malala Fund by donating eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection to Malala Fund directly.
Just as each country’s scent is unique, so too are their needs related to education. But with support from Malala Fund and Pura, local leaders are coming up with creative ways to mobilize entire communities (parents, teachers, elders, and the students themselves, in their pursuit of solutions, understanding that educating girls helps everyone thrive. Here’s how their efforts are creating real, durable impact in Tanzania and Pakistan, and creating a ripple effect that changes the world for the better.
Parent-teacher associations help Maasai girls and their communities in Tanzania problem-solve
A girl’s school in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura
Northern Tanzania, Grace’s home, is home to pastoralist communities like the Maasai, a nomadic people who have moved with the seasons to nurture the land and care for their livestock for centuries. The nomadic nature of this lifestyle creates significant and unique barriers to girls’ education. Longstanding gender roles have enabled Maasai to survive in the harsh environment and have placed great value on both women and men. Over time, as nomadic life has been threatened by the privatization of land and stationary education models have been implemented, the reality of pastoralist livelihood has shifted and introduced new complexities. Now, the sheer distance to schools is both a practical challenge and one that often comes with danger from the landscape, predators, and potential exposure to assault along the journey. Girls shoulder the responsibility of household chores and there is often cultural pressure around early marriage – both leading to boys’ education being prioritized over girls’.
“There are very, very good [pastoralist] cultural practices, which are passed from generation to generation,” says Janet Kimori, an English teacher at Lekule Girls Secondary School in Longido, Tanzania. But when cultural practices act as educational barriers, “you have to sit down and look for where you are going to assist. As a school, as an individual, the school administration—all of us will chip in and know how we are going to deal with this problem.”
PWC works to ensure girls are able to exercise their right to an education while also preserving pastoralist culture. One successful approach, the organization found, has been the formation of Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), created with help from Malala Fund. In PTA meetings, students, parents, teachers, elders, and government officials meet, discuss educational barriers, and come up with community-led solutions that preserve and honor their culture while advancing educational outcomes.
PTA meeting in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura
One recent PTA meeting highlights how these community-led solutions are often the most effective. At Lekule Girls Secondary School, the lack of fresh water forces girls to walk long distances to collect water for the school’s kitchen during the school day, and these long journeys not only disrupt class time but can leave girls vulnerable to sexual assault in isolated areas. Through facilitated discussion, PTA members landed on a solution: installing a borehole to pipe in fresh water to the school. Reliable access to water creates a better learning environment for the girls, but it also benefits the community at large, as local governments are then more likely to invest in health clinics and other community resources nearby.
With a solution in place, the PTA was then able to discuss ideas and map out a course of action. The women would raise money for the cost of the borehole, while the men would recruit workers to dig the hole and lay the pipe. Together, they would ask government officials to match their investment.
The benefits of PTA meetings within the pastoralist communities are undeniable. “The girls are talking and addressing issues in a confident way, and parents feel they are part of the resource team to solve challenges happening at school,” Grace says. One unexpected benefit: The larger cultural impact these PTA meetings have created. Thanks to the success of PTAs within pastoralist communities, the models are now being endorsed on a national level, and schools across Tanzania are starting to use them to solve problems in their own communities. When a community creates opportunities for girls to learn, everyone benefits.
Safe spaces in rural Pakistan help students and their parents connect, then drive change
Safe space for girls meeting in Pakistan. Captured by Insiya Syed.
A continent away in Pakistan, the country’s northernmost region of Gilgit-Baltistan seems like a land untouched by time. The region’s looming mountains, snow-capped peaks, lush valleys and crystalline lakes draw nature lovers and landscape photographers from around the world, but living among this kind of breathtaking scenery has its drawbacks. Schools in the region are few and far between, and the area’s harsh climate often makes roads inaccessible for travel. Poverty and gender-based discrimination are additional obstacles, making school even further out of reach, and girls are affected disproportionately. Going up against these barriers requires a persistent, quiet strength that’s found in the women who live there and reflected in Pakistan’s signature scent.
Saheli Circles are how local leaders in Gilgit-Baltistan are bridging the gap between girls and education. An Urdu term for “female friend,” Saheli Circles are after-school safe spaces where girls explore subjects like art and climate change, while also developing skills that help them manage emotions, set goals, and build positive relationships. Girls study in groups, visit the library, play sports, and tackle filmmaking and photography projects, all designed to develop self confidence and teach the girls how to advocate for issues that matter to them. But the work doesn’t stop there.
“What we’re trying to achieve here will only be impactful if it trickles down to the home environment and the school environment,” says Marvi Sumro, founder and program director of Innovate, Educate, and Inspire Pakistan (IEI), the local organization that developed the Saheli Circles model and partnered with Malala Fund in 2021 to make it a reality. Ever since, Saheli Circles have grown to involve teachers, elders, and parents to encourage relationship building that’s essential for young girls and adolescents. “Our spaces can give mothers and daughters an opportunity to interact a little differently—do an art activity, or have a cup of tea together, or some good conversation,” Marvi says.
The relationship building is what makes the biggest positive impact throughout the community. Recently, one Saheli Circle was able to bring together parents, teachers, and administrators to advocate for better education at their local school, and together they convinced the department of education to hire a science teacher. Another Saheli Circle organized a fund where members of the community can contribute monthly to pay for uniforms, books, and other school expenses for the girls in their village, eliminating those small, hidden costs that are often a barrier to education for many. A third Saheli Circle was able to produce a short film about how gender-based household chores can take away valuable study time from girls, leaving them at a disadvantage. “The girls put the film together and showed it to the mothers, and the response from the mothers was just beautiful,” Marvi says.
Girls smiling in Pakistan. Captured by Insiya Syed.
The education and relationship building that the girls receive in Saheli Circles connects them to larger opportunities and economic freedom that are not possible in their hometown. “For girls in Gilgit-Baltistan, education is extremely important because of the fact that we’re so far away from where the economy is, where the opportunity is. Education becomes this bridge for us, for our girls, to access all the opportunity and economy that exists in [larger cities].”
From rural Tanzania to remote Pakistan, local organizations prove every day that prioritizing girls’ education benefits everyone. Communities that lift up girls are able to secure resources like clean water and well-staffed schools, as well as build stronger relationships.
These outcomes are only possible because of the women and girls who work tirelessly in these regions to overcome barriers and drive progress. The Pura x Malala Fund Collection is a way to honor them, celebrate their achievements, and unite people the world over around a shared belief that education is freedom. Like scent, that belief can build, travel, and has the possibility to transform the world.
Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.
Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States (1977 to 1981). Looking back on his achievements both in and out of office, it’s easy to say that he was a man ahead of his time. He was far ahead of the mainstream when it came to advocating for social justice, human rights, and the environment.
The former peanut farmer and Navy Lieutenant from Plains, Georgia, was also far ahead of his time when supporting gay rights. In 1976, while running for president, he said he would sign the Equality Act, an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. “I will certainly sign it, because I don’t think it’s right to single out homosexuals for special abuse or special harassment,” he said.
He continued to advocate for gay rights as president. In 1977, the first gay delegation visited the White House. He also campaigned against California’s Proposition 6, which would have barred gays and lesbians from teaching in the state’s schools and was the first Democratic president to endorse gay rights in the party’s platform in 1980.
It may seem unusual for Carter, a confessed born-again Christian, to be a staunch advocate for gay rights. But he has publicly said that he believes that being pro-gay is wholly aligned with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Carter’s advocacy found itself in the spotlight once again after a meme featuring his thoughts about Christ and homosexuality from 2012 went viral on Reddit’s MadeMeSmile forum on April 8, 2024.
“A lot of people point to the Bible for reasons why gay people should not be in the church or accepted in any way,” the interviewer Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush said. But Carter responded by correctly noting that Jesus Christ never said anything about homosexuality.
“Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things—he never said that gay people should be condemned. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies,” Carter said. “I draw the line, maybe arbitrarily, in requiring by law that churches must marry people. I’m a Baptist, and I believe that each congregation is autonomous and can govern its own affairs.
“So if a local Baptist church wants to accept gay members on an equal basis, which my church does, by the way, then that is fine. If a church decides not to, then government laws shouldn’t require them to,” he continued.
Jimmy Carter in the White House.
Three years later, Carter shared the same sentiments in another interview with the Huffington Post, this time shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. “I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else, and I don’t see that gay marriage damages anyone else,” Carter said.
Jimmy Carter’s belief in gay rights stems from his faith as a Christian, but it’s also in complete alignment with his values as an American. Carter believed that the United States was a “beacon” for human rights, and in his 1981 presidential farewell address, he reminded the nation that the job was an ongoing struggle.
“The battle for human rights–at home and abroad–is far from over,” Carter said. “If we are to serve as a beacon for human rights, we must continue to perfect here at home the rights and values which we espouse around the world: A decent education for our children, adequate medical care for all Americans, an end to discrimination against minorities and women, a job for all those able to work, and freedom from injustice and religious intolerance.”
Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100 years old. He was the longest-lived U.S. president. After his passing, President Joe Biden wrote that Carter, “stands as a model of what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose, a life of principle, of faith and humility. His life was dedicated to others.” He will forever be remembered as a man who fought for human rights both at home and abroad.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
Like the space flights before it, the Artemis II mission revolves around hard science and data. But what has captivated us most here on Earth is the beauty and humanity it reveals. We’ve enjoyed the astronauts’ joyful camaraderie as they reach farther into space than any humans have gone before. We’ve been touched by the reminder that we are all one people. And we’ve wept at the naming of a moon crater after Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife.
And now, we’re hearing from the lone Canadian onboard, sharing how Indigenous elders’ wisdom has helped guide him through this mission.
In preparation for the Artemis II launch, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen said he sought advice that led him to Indigenous wisdom. Asked what he learned from Indigenous elders, Hansen shared his response from space.
“I’ve had many Indigenous elders spend time with me in my travels across the country, and I’ve always enjoyed it,” he said. “If I can give you one piece of advice, sit with your elders and ask questions. But listen intently. Every time I’ve stopped to listen, I’ve just learned these amazing things.”
Hansen pulled out the personal mission patch he carried onboard.
‘This encompasses a few of the things I learned from the elders,” he said. “But when I left the vision quest, I had a better understanding of it. These animals in this patch, that was created by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond from the Turtle Lodge, these animals represent some things that I try to think about every day. My mantra when I wake up is I am just going to try to spend my day walking with these attributes. And so I start with courage, humility, respect, love, honesty, wisdom, and truth.”
Hansen said the crew named their Orion spacecraft “Integrity,” which he says encapsulates those attributes.
“For me, being ‘in integrity’ is walking in accordance with these seven sacred laws, and it’s just something that helps guide me through life,” he said.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) explains the “Seven Sacred Laws” represented by the animals on Hansen’s patch. The following descriptions come from Sabe, Leader of Turtle Lodge, and have been edited for concision by the CSA:
Buffalo – Respect
The buffalo represents respect. It gives its entire being to feed the people, for them to live. Elders teach that when you respect others, you give of yourself, you give your life to help people around you to create a better existence for all.
Eagle – Love
The eagle represents love. Grandmothers say that one of the most powerful medicines we have is love, that love is a powerful healer. The eagle also symbolizes vision and sight. It is important to see ahead, to have a vision of one’s purpose and to work towards it. Elders teach that one’s true purpose is always rooted in love and in support of others.
Bear – Courage
A very physically powerful animal, the bear represents courage.A mother bear is fearless in the protection of her cubs. It is natural for her to display courage and strength, to do what is right in life. It is not always easy to face challenges, follow one’s purpose and do the right thing. Only with the courage and resilience of the bear will you be able to face and overcome the challenges that could prevent you from living out your life’s purpose.
Sasquatch – Honesty
Sasquatch or Bigfoot – Sabe or ‘giant’ in the Ojibway language – represents the importance of honesty and being true to one’s word. Say what you mean and be honest with yourself and others. Elders often exemplify this trait; when they say something, their word is a commitment and can be counted upon. Honesty is also speaking true and good words about others and avoiding gossip.
Beaver – Wisdom
The beaver represents wisdom. It has an incredible gift to build and create, as well as the wisdom of how to use this gift. The beaver’s creation harnesses life-giving water to create important ecosystems that support and enable life. It can even channel water back into an area following a devastating forest fire, renewing and revitalizing that ecosystem.
Like the beaver, we all have a special gift to offer others. Use the wisdom of the beaver to acknowledge your gifts and put them to use in the service of others: this is the source of life satisfaction and happiness.
Wolf – Humility
The wolf represents humility, acknowledging that there is a higher power and natural laws governing the universe. Showing gratitude for our life and our existence, while acknowledging that we are all equal is a sign of humility. The sun shines on us all equally, and no one is better or less than others.
Turtle – Truth
The turtle is truth. The Elders say that in order to know and understand truth, we have to learn to understand the six other teachings: respect, love, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility. The turtle leaves a trail, truth, for us to follow. As we are constantly faced with challenges, we should do our best to follow that trail and live truthfully.
Ahead of #NDTR on Monday, we invite you to reflect and learn about the diverse cultures of the Indigenous Peoples. You can also read about the Seven Sacred Laws depicted on @astro_Jeremy’s personal mission patch for his journey to the Moon on Artemis II. https://t.co/TDUkxwv1CF
The patch has some obvious symbols, such as the Big Dipper, the North Star (with five points to represent Hansen’s five family members), the Canadian flag, and the Royal Canadian Air Force astronaut wings.
But it holds other symbolism as well, the CSA explains. The bow represents Artemis, the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the moon and the hunt. She launches her arrow with the astronauts, taking off from Turtle Island—the Indigenous name for the Americas—toward Grandmother Moon. The silver border represents the Orion spacecraft. The blue border beneath it represents the light, or spirit, in all living things that travels with the crew through space.
What a beautiful reminder of our connection to Earth, and of the meaningful lessons we carry with us when we leave it.
At 88 years old, Marie McLaren has done a lot in her life. Before retirement, she worked as a sales assistant, a factory worker, and a cleaner—all while raising three children, who now have kids of their own. But in her golden years, she’s pursuing a new challenge: stand-up comedy.
Most up-and-coming comedians make their debut at small shows or open mics. McLaren, however, had the added pressure of performing a five-minute set as part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. It would be understandable to flop or fumble under those conditions. Instead, McLaren nailed it like a pro.
McLaren decided to give stand-up comedy a try after years of encouragement from family and friends. In fact, she was practically pushed into it. Her daughter signed her up for a four-week stand-up comedy course for seniors.
“I’ve always liked making people laugh. I’ve been a bit of a joker all my life and I’ve never had much time for folk that just complain and moan,” McLaren told Chortle. “My friends used to say I should try stand-up, so when my daughter signed me up for this I thought, ‘Well, I’ll give it a go.’ I might be 88 but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying new things.”
The class, taught by award-winning Scottish comedian Viv Gee, teaches senior students how to write and develop original material. It also focuses on building confidence and controlling the room in front of a live audience. The course is promoted in partnership with Age Scotland.
Age Scotland is a charity focused on the social and mental well-being of older adults. It helps fund and promote programs that provide activities, care, and companionship. These efforts aim to address the loneliness epidemic among elderly communities.
A new star is born
Once the course ended, McLaren and her classmates performed at the Social Hub in Scotland. The class and the show were organized in partnership with Age Scotland. The name of the seniors’ comedy show? The Old Ones Are the Best.
McLaren credits her successful debut to her teacher.
“Viv has been brilliant. She explains everything properly and gives you the confidence to try it,” she said. “You come in thinking you don’t know what you’re doing and then suddenly you’re writing things down and thinking, ‘I can do this.’”
While this was her first time writing and performing stand-up comedy, McLaren has always had a performance bug. Prior to her comedy debut, she and her husband joined a talent agency for walk-on roles in film and TV. Most notably, she appeared in a music video for The Proclaimers, directed by Matt Lucas.
While the class is over, McLaren’s journey into the comedy world is just beginning.
“If I was asked to do more, I would definitely say yes. As long as I can still stand up and make people laugh, I’ll keep going,” she said. “I don’t think you should ever stop. If something comes along and you fancy it, just do it.”
There’s no doubt that the role aunts and uncles play in a child’s life is important. Typically, these are the people who are raising the cousins that often serve as your child’s first best friends. But many Millennials are part of a growing group of adults opting not to have children.
Instead of raising their own children, they’re leaning into their childfree status and the additional bandwidth it affords them. “Rich auntie” status is not new. It’s the endearing nickname given to women who chose to forego children to maintain the lifestyle they worked for. It replaced the more derogatory term of “childless cat lady,” which replaced “spinster.”
Though the idea of a childless aunt or uncle isn’t new, the prevalence is. This phenomenon was once so rare that it caused speculation around sexuality and sanity. Clearly, there must be something wrong with you if you didn’t have children. Today, people are celebrating the mutually beneficial role childless adults play. Not only do they bring fun and adventure to a child’s life, but they also serve as a trusted babysitter for a much-needed evening out.
It’s not only the kids and parents that benefit, but the childless adults also gain. TikToker Amanda Vanhook says, “I’m very much single, no interest in dating, none. And I’m very happy that way. I’m very happy in my life.” Later, she adds, “I’m also very fortunate that I had a sister that gave me two little crazy hooligans, my four-year-old nephew and my two-year-old niece, and I would not change that for the world because they are the light of my life.
I would go above and beyond, go over the moon, and wouldn’t even blink an eye for those two. So I get the best of both worlds. I get to spoil myself, treat myself whenever I want, and enjoy my quiet time life, but I also get my nuggets, who I want to spend all this time with. I want to show them the world, I want to show them the great things of life.”
Adults remain childless for a variety of reasons. Struggles with fertility, not finding the right partner, or simply not having the desire to raise a child full-time are some of the most prominent. No matter the reason for being child-free, though, the mutual benefit of those without kids having close relationships with those who do have them shouldn’t be understated. One family has a tradition they’ve shared online for others to see. Since their aunt doesn’t have children, instead of Mother’s Day, they created a special day just for her called “Auntie Lynn Day.”
Man holding young girl like an airplane. Photo Credit: Canva
Every year, the family gathers for a cookout complete with decorations and a cookie cake, declaring it “Auntie Lynn Day.” It’s a day filled with love and smiles, acknowledging how valued her role is in their family.
Another woman, Jillian Gerhardt, explains the importance of having childless friends who double as aunties and uncles to your children. “Every parent needs a childless auntie or uncle friend. They’re not real aunts and uncles, but they’re that friend that shows up smelling like independence and freedom.” She advocates that their role is vital to remind parents who they were before they had children, to keep them grounded in their sense of self.
Mike Mancusi, a childless uncle, makes an argument for those on the fence about becoming a parent. “Anyone that’s on the fence about having kids or not having kids, I’m going to propose to you a third option, and it is by far the best option–being an aunt or an uncle. It is the best. It’s all of the good parts of parenting and none of the bad parts.” He adds, “You get to hang out with these kids, you get all of the joy, all the endorphins, and then as soon as they start being annoying, you just get to hand them off to the people that are legally required to take care of them.”
The consensus of the childfree aunts and uncles is that they get to be the fun-havers. They come in like a superhero to either give parents a break while they spoil them, or rile the kids up right before bedtime. Either way, they get to go home or drop the kids back off with their parents when they’re overstimulated.
Parents who appreciate the childless aunties and uncles celebrate what they bring to their lives. Childless aunts and uncles appreciate that they get to share parenting with their sibling or friend without the full-time responsibility. It’s a win-win-win. A win for the parents, a win for the childless person, and a win for the kids.
“The DINK, Auntie and Funcle life is really underrated,” one person says. DINK stands for Dual Income No Kids.
“It really is the best option. Also, when they become teenagers, they only fight with their parents and have a great relationship with you and ask for your advice and will listen to you,” someone writes in response to Mancusi’s video.
An adult child reveals, “My Auntie is my favorite human. 42 years later that woman is my go to for just about EVERYTHING.”
Someone else adds, “Childless auntie here! My besties kids are my world. My weekends are spent at soccer games, cheer games, etc and then I get to go home at night and read my book in silence. Someday we will build a compound so they can just walk to my house whenever lol.”
CNN had created a remembrance video for the Back to the Future star, titled “Remembering the life of Michael J. Fox.” Now, it’s fairly standard practice for news outlets to make these sorts of posthumous tributes in advance. But publishing them before the celebrity actually passes away? Not so much.
And yet, on Tuesday, April 7, that’s what happened. But when Fox saw the accidental announcement of his death, he met it with a bit of philosophical humor.
On Threads, Fox wrote, “How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death? Do you…A) switch to MNSBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour scolding hot water on your lap, if it hurts your fine, (C) Call your wife, hopefully she’s concerned but reassuring, (D) Relax, they do this once every year, (E) Ask yourself wtf ?”
@realmikejfox Threads
Ending with just a dash of self-deprecation, he concluded, “I thought the world was ending, but apparently it’s just me and I’m ok. Love, Mike.”
As to be expected, fans were quick to “yes and” Fox’s sense of humor.
“Go outside and ask the first person you come across: ‘Can you see me?’ Glad you’re ok btw!” wrote one person.
Meanwhile, actor Kathy Griffin quipped, “You’re a helluva ghost. ❤️😂.”
In CNN’s defense, the tribute, however premature, did respectfully honor Fox’s legacy not only as a beloved actor, but also as an active Parkinson’s advocate.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the narrator in the now-deleted video said of Fox: “He came into our living rooms on the small screen each week as Alex P. Keaton [on Family Ties] and eventually onto the big screen as Marty McFly in [Back to the Future]. But Michael J. Fox had a compelling third act as a Parkinson’s sufferer and stem cell research advocate.”
“His most lasting role may have been as a tireless voice against Parkinson’s, a performance the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2022,” the clip went on. “In the end, Fox came to understand that his battle against the disease brought out the best in him.”
A CNN spokesperson also stated: “The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family.”
On Wednesday, Fox’s rep assured TMZ that “Michael is doing great.”
So great, in fact, that he was out and about in Los Angeles speaking on a panel for the Apple TV series Shrinking, in which he filmed a three-episode guest arc playing a character who also deals with Parkinson’s disease. The guest spot marked his first on-screen appearance since 2020. Harrison Ford, who also plays a character with Parkinson’s on the show, regarded Fox as “an extraordinarily powerful person” after meeting and working with him on set.
So, Michael J. Fox is still kickin’. And he’s still meeting each moment with a tremendous amount of humility and humor, lifting our spirits as he does it.
There is something about finding connection with fellow humans that can help make even the hardest obstacles seem more bearable. So when Kirsty Waugh was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2024, she and her family sought to fight it. Not just for her, but for anyone out there suffering.
They had an ingenious idea. What if they could find every person named Kirsty, Kirstie, or Kirsti in the world to bond together and help support her battle, and any other child who might have the same affliction?
Kirsty Waugh. Photo Credit: Mat Waugh, website
Kirsty’s father Mat Waugh shared a bit of their story on his LinkedIn page, as well as their new plan to be of service. “Last year, our 11-year-old daughter Kirsty – who’s having chemotherapy for a brain tumour – raised £120,000 for Children with Cancer UK. As she cracks on with a second year of chemo, we have a new plan but we need your help!”
Looking for Kirstys
“We’re hunting for every Kirsty, Kirstie, and Kirsti we can find: to show their support for her, and for every other child with a brain tumour. There are about 50,000 in the UK, more elsewhere. There’s a one in three chance that you work, live, or are related to one – that’s the same odds of knowing someone with a brain tumour. (Try tagging below: there were three in my modest circle alone).”
Mat adds the importance of donating, as government child cancer research is underfunded. “Aside from giving a massive, Kirsty-shaped hug, we’re trying to raise money for badly needed research into child brain tumours: just 3p in every £100 of gov cancer funding gets allocated. Yet it’s the biggest cancer killer of kids, and indeed anyone under 40. Every penny raised will be spent on projects vetted and selected by OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity to find kinder, better treatments.
Everyone can show their support by joining Kirsty’s map and perhaps making a donation. Please help our girl by sharing her quest and let’s find those Kirstys!”
Kirsty shares her story
On their website, “My Name is Kirsty,” there is a statement from Kirsty herself. “My name is Kirsty. I’m 11, and I’m sorry you don’t have the best name in the world. But you can help! Here’s how.” She then relays the similar details her father had listed about her journey with chemo, and how to raise money for others.
There is a clickable map that shows every Kirsty in the world (who has so far participated), from Europe to Canada to the US to Australia. A red star indicates a “Kirsty” (or a spelling close to it), and a green heart represents a supporter.
Kirsty Waugh map, Photo Credit: Mat Waugh
Update on Kirsty
Upworthy had the chance to speak with Mat, who gave us updates and explained more about how the idea to create a “Kirsty map” came to be.
Upworthy: First and foremost, how is Kirsty feeling now?
Mat: “Kirsty’s into her second year of weekly chemotherapy following her diagnosis in November 2024 for a benign brain tumour. If you’ve known anyone who’s gone through this, you’ll know that it’s really tough. Hair loss, nausea, anaemia, aches, and lack of energy: she’s had it all. And she has more than a year to go. It’s tough-going psychologically, too. But she’s a bright, feisty, and creative girl who fills her time with crochet, dance, and everything else she can manage. We’re learning a lot from her! ‘One day at a time’ is the cliche, but it’s true that we’re not looking too far ahead because we can’t control that. We can, however, control how much fun we have today.”
How to help
Upworthy: Whose idea was the “Finding Kirsty” challenge, and how did you turn it into such a successful nonprofit?
Kirsty Waugh, Photo Credit Mat Waugh
Mat: “The idea to find all the Kirstys came because she had to change treatment, and suddenly 70 weeks of chemo became 150. She’d spent much of 2025 raising money with her crochet project, raising £120,000 for a children’s cancer charity. But over the same period, she’d learned how poor and harsh the available treatments for brain tumours are, and how little money is spent on researching the biggest cause of cancer deaths in the under 40s. She decided she wanted to fund more research and chose OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity. They provided our family with support, but also run a research arm where every penny donated will go to research.
And so we had to work out who we should ask, because we’d already leaned on all our friends, relatives, and neighbours for the first campaign! Kirsty suggested that the best people to ask would be other Kirstys because, in her experience, they’re always kind and lovely. So we looked up how many there are, because it’s a pretty rare name now in every country. But there was a time in the 1980s when lots of girls were named Kirsty or Kirstie. We reckon there are about 50,000 worldwide. The website www.mynameiskirsty.com was born.”
A plethora of Kirstys
Upworthy: Who are some of your favorite Kirsty(s) and from which countries?
Mat: “First on the map was Kirsty Gilmour, who is the UK’s no.1 badminton player; our Kirsty met her when she was a guest at the All England badminton championships, and the lovely Kirsty G offered to be the first Kirsty in her campaign. Second was a duck – the newborn sister to a therapy duck called Goldie that Kirsty met the following day!
Kirsty has now hit the first milestone of 1,000 Kirstys found, and exploring their photos and messages on the map is great fun. But equally rewarding are the words left by other supporters of every name. They’re united by their appreciation of the tough time kids with brain tumours are going through, and the need to improve the odds for thousands of children worldwide who face an uncertain future and life-changing symptoms and treatments.”
Onion rings are a staple fast-food item. Yet you’re unlikely to find them at McDonald’s, one of the most recognizable fast-food chains in the world.
However, once upon a time, Mickey D’s did experiment with its own version of the side item, and it’s easy to see why the idea was short-lived.
It was the 1970s, and by then, allegedly thanks to a Texas-based drive-in restaurant called The Pig Stand, onion rings were already a popular fast-food item. However, McDonald’s’ entire brand is centered around efficiency and profit, and compared to fries, onion rings would have been more time-consuming to make and less cost-effective.
Enter: Onion Nuggets
Photo credit: Wiki.com – A vintage ad for McDonald's Onion Nuggets.
According to Mental Floss, the rather baffling idea came from Rene Arend, McDonald’s first executive chef, who would later develop the somewhat controversial McRib. And get this: they actually predate chicken nuggets.
Rather than cutting onions into thin rings, food workers would batter and deep-fry onion bits. However, it soon became clear that customers, especially children, didn’t enjoy this particular vegetable-to-batter ratio. You can almost picture the confusion at the counter: someone opens the box expecting a familiar crispy ring and instead finds a pile of tiny fried onion clusters. Technically accurate, sure. Emotionally satisfying? Eh, that’s another story.
But Arend was then instructed to apply the concept to a chicken-based product, and voilà—the Chicken McNugget was born, and we were never the same. So you could say onion nuggets walked so chicken nuggets could run!
Interestingly, McDonald’s could take Burger King’s approach, which essentially makes “rings” out of minced onions. According to Tasting Table, “The goal isn’t to recreate the diner-style onion ring, but to offer a salty, crunchy side that’s cheap, uniform, and easy to churn out by the millions.” However, some have criticized this recipe as more like “tiny onion flavored doughnuts.” Honestly, not seeing the problem there.
There have been far worse mess-ups
And when you think about McDonald’s’ long history of bizarre menu failures, including the 1960s Hula Burger (a pineapple slice with cheese), McSpaghetti, and Seinfeld-inspired Muffin Toppers, deep-fried onion bits don’t sound too strange. Some folks are even nostalgic about it and would love to see its glorious return. While the odds are never zero, they are quite low.
That’s not to say the restaurant won’t ever sell proper onion rings. But Mike Haracz, a former McDonald’s manager of culinary innovation, explains in a TikTok video that they would likely only ever be a “limited-time offer” so as not to compete with their “over-the-top profitable” French fries.
If you’re jonesing for some McDonald’s onion rings, they’re occasionally served in places outside the United States, such as Turkey, Greece, Israel, and even Australia. Just as Haracz predicted, they’re limited-time items.
We can probably all agree that if any menu item deserves a comeback, it’s the Apple Fritter.
As the music began, no one knew what the apparatus made of poles and bars surrounding the dancers was for. But it soon became apparent that they would use it to lift themselves off the ground. What started with a simple pull-up, however, turned into an incredible synchronized dance to Justin Bieber’s “Where Are U Now” in which the dancers synchronized their movements without their feet even touching the ground.
AIRFOOTWORKS dancing to Justin Bieber on AGT
The dancers, who hail from Japan, were mentored by Kenichi Ebina, who won AGT Season 8 in 2013. Their performance earned them a standing ovation from all four judges and the audience.
“Everything about the performance was perfect,” said judge Sofia Vergara.
“It was so creative and so different—and so difficult, by the way,” said judge Simon Cowell. “So you have a great mentor. However, even if you’ve got a great mentor, you’ve still got to be able to do what your mentor helps you to do. And you did it immaculately.”
AGT fans agree with the judges
People in the comments were equally blown away.
“How do people find out they have talents like this??? ✋ “
“My toxic trait is thinking I can do this without any difficulty .”
“Insane core strength.”
“OBSESSED with this audition.”
“What kind of core strength is this… flawless, “
Many people were disappointed that none of the judges hit the Golden Buzzer.
“Why no Golden Buzzer?!?!?! If I’ve seen any act more deserving of it, I can’t recall. These guys were AWESOME!!!!!!!”
“Did they run out of golden buzzers? This is worthy.”
“THEY DESERVED THE GOLDEN BUZZER!”
“This performance absolutely deserved a golden buzzer. It was just spectacular.”
“Can only assume all the judges were so enthralled and mesmerized by this performance they forgot there was a golden buzzer.”
The ‘Golden’ performance
AIRFOOTWORKS did, in fact, earn a Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel during the Quarterfinals sending them directly to the finale, where the group performed to an EDM mix by Steve Aoki. While they didn’t receive enough votes to win the entire competition, they have certainly earned AGT royalty status.
Since their AGT run, AIRFOOTWORKS have continued to take the world stage – reaching the finals of talent competitions in France and Italy, and performing at the Royal Variety Performance in the UK.
For more talent auditions, you can follow America’s Got Talent on YouTube and TikTok.
This article originally appeared 2 years ago. It has been updated.
