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Culture

Mariah Carey inspired a Twitter rally after a Texas bar banned her Christmas song

Mariah Carey, Christmas, song
Twitter, Twitter

Mariah Carey Christmas song ban.

Mariah Carey's uber famous "All I Want For Christmas Is You" has been a staple of the holiday since the late '90s. Who can remember the last time they entered a department store without trying–and failing– to match that impossible whistle tone during the final chorus? It's about as synonymous with Yuletide cheer as Rudolph, only sassier.


Well, apparently a (still unidentified) bar in Texas has had quite enough of the holiday pop hit. Someone there taped an unceremonious piece of white paper next to the jukebox that stated plainly "Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You will be skipped if played before Dec. 1. After Dec 1 the song is only allowed one time a night."

I mean, the whole "when to start playing Christmas music" debate has been a source of contention for years. I personally cringe when November 1 rolls around and carols permeate the radio stations, but clearly this bar had an even stronger stance. The paper was tweeted by a critic for National Review. From there, the tweet went viral.

Those familiar to retail had a shared trauma response. "If you haven't worked retail then let me explain.The song plays 50 times a day on the store radio from November 1 (maybe earlier) to December 25. It's hell," wrote one "victim."

Another (soon to be divorced) man wrote: "I need to print this out for my wife," which received the prompt response of "How about you let your wife enjoy things she likes before she decides you aren't one of those things?" Yup, holiday drama is already coming in hot.

One Twitter user responded with "Is this the war on Christmas I've heard about?" which caught the attention of Carey herself.


Carey's response? In a word, iconic. The pop singer posted a photo of herself from a 2015 ad for the mobile video game "Game of War," completely decked out in battle armor and holding a sword. Move over Xena, there's a new warrior princess in town. And she's ready to defend her Christmas kingdom.

Carey was quick to garner support from her fans. Like this person, asking where to join her army.

Another wrote "me on my way to fight for the queen" accompanied by a video of Carey on a jet plane and singing yet another holiday song. That's some kind of allegiance, if you ask me.

Carey posted another video on Instagram, showing three jack-o-lanterns sitting in a row with the words "it's not time." Scary, sinister music plays and a bell tolls. Carey, wearing a sparkly red gown and sky high heels sneaks in through a door holding a giant candy cane the size of a baseball bat (you might see where this is going). With a swing of her candy cane, Mariah destroys one of the pumpkins, changing the message to "it's time" while her famous-slash-infamous song plays. If a war on Christmas is what they want, a war on Christmas is what they'll get.

This got even more fan responses, including the person who wrote, in all caps, "MARIAH INVENTED CHRISTMAS." Not historically accurate, but the sentiment is palpable.

If you think that's something, check out the other Twitter user who wrote "SHE IS CHRISTMAS SHE IS SANTA SHE IS THE GODDAMN TREE." Seriously, don't mess with Mariah fans.

Though that one bar in Texas might have won the battle, the victor in this War for Christmas is still Queen Mariah, most definitely. She's already promoting her new Apple TV special "Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues," following up last year's "Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special." Which might be maddening to some, but to many, it embodies a fun, cheeky, more modern way to invite the holiday spirit. And hey, at least you know TV specials don't play on repeat while you do your Christmas shopping…

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Golden Years

7 'old people' sayings that are actually solid life advice at every age

"Make all your words sweet because tomorrow you may have to eat them."

Photo credit: Canva

Elder wisdom can come in handy.

With age comes wisdom, or at least we hope it does. As we get older, we collect life lessons that we can pass along to younger generations, sometimes with lengthy stories, sometimes with quippy sayings.

Adages like "A penny saved is a penny earned," or "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," have been part of our collective treasure chest of life advice for generations, but the aphorisms that spring from the experience of our loved ones and mentors are often the most meaningful.

Someone shared that they'd read and appreciated this old man's advice: “My grandpa once told me 'if you get on the wrong train, get off at the nearest station, the longer it takes you to get off, the more expensive the return trip will be.' He wasn’t talking about trains.” The person asked for more tidbits of wisdom from old folks and people started sharing sayings they heard from their elders growing up.

Here are some of the best "old man advice" sayings and how they can be applied in a person's life.

"You might miss what’s ahead of you if you keep concentrating on what’s in the rear view mirror."

Another commenter put it another way: "Don't look behind you, you aren't going that way." This adage is about not dwelling on the past. Many of us have a tendency to spend more time mentally in the past, rehashing old memories or being nostalgic for what once was, than we do in the present or looking forward to the future. There's nothing wrong with a little reflection, but if most of our focus is in the past, we miss out on the present. Rear view mirrors are for quick glances, not where our focus should be.

"Do the right thing, even if nobody is watching."

This saying is about good character and true integrity. If you notice someone drop a $20 bill and no one is around to see but you, do you give it back to them or do you pick it up and keep it? If you realize that a store didn't charge you for an item, do you point it out and make it right or do you allow the mistake to remain? There are opportunities each day for us to choose between right and wrong, and those choices really speak to who we are if they are made without anyone else knowing.

bart simpson episode 21 GIFGiphy


"Be nice to everybody you meet on the way up the ladder. You'll see the same faces on the way down "

Don't get cocky and don't burn bridges you think you won't need to return to. There's value in being kind for its own sake, but there's also the reality that being kind also makes people like you. When people like you, they're more likely to lend you a helping hand, and you never know when you're going to be in a position to need one. It's also a good reminder that you're not inherently better than anyone else just because of where you are in life. We're all constantly in flux, so it's important to stay humble and kind.

In other words, "Make all your words sweet because tomorrow you may have to eat them."

"One of the most powerful negotiating tools is silence."

The power of silence in general is often underrated, but it can be an especially useful tool in a negotiation. Some people are so uncomfortable with silence that they will make concessions simply to avoid it. And sometimes the best response to an unreasonable demand is to just say nothing and stare, letting the other party come to the realization themselves. It takes calm confidence to simply be quiet and let the silence fill the room, which can feel surprisingly intimidating.

Eddie Murphy Shut Up GIF by BounceGiphy

"Always listen to your gut, even if you can’t explain it."

Ah, the strange and mysterious sense of intuition that we can't really describe but know when we feel it. Whether it's getting a creepy vibe about a person or a little voice telling you to do or not do something, those "gut instincts" can serve us well. Of course, if we are prone to anxiety, our instincts can sometimes be confused with anxious thoughts, but "go with your gut" is solid advice anyway.

“It doesn’t matter what path you’re on if it’s the wrong mountain.”

Sometimes people trying to find their way end up hitting roadblock after roadblock, which may mean they just haven't found the right path yet or might mean they need an entire overhaul of their life. That might look like switching career paths entirely, rather than trying to find a job in your field that fits. It might mean changing majors in the middle of your studies when you find yourself not enjoying any of your classes. It might mean finding a new community or reevaluating your relationships.

"The harder I work, the luckier I get."

Several sayings line up with this one, like "Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity," and "Luck favors the prepared mind." There's a lot to be said for fortune and hard work going hand in hand. If we expect good things to just land in our lap, we will likely be disappointed, but if we move in the direction of things we want to happen and do the work of preparing for good things to come our way, "luck" frequently seems to follow.

Finding a saying that resonates can be really helpful when we're facing a specific challenge in life, especially when we commit it to memory and repeat it often.

This article originally appeared in March.

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Learning

How Japanese introductions literally translate to English is a wild linguistics lesson

"First time! I'm Under the Forest."

Photo by Satoshi Hirayama/Pexels

Greetings in Japanese sound quite odd when literally translated to English.

Studying a language other than your own native tongue is always a trip. Wrapping your head around completely different grammar and syntax rules, trying to create sounds your mouth isn't used to, sometimes learning entirely new alphabets (or characters when there is no alphabet), all just to be able to communicate with more of your fellow human beings. (Seriously, when are we going to decide on an actual universal language?)

Linguistics is wild, as evidenced by certified Japanese teacher Hikari's video demonstrating what Japanese introductions would sound like if they were translated literally into English.

One of the first greetings you learn in Japanese is "hajimemashite," which is generally interpreted as "Nice to meet you," or "How do you do"—something you say when you meet someone. But the literal meaning of the phrase is "at the beginning" or "first time," which of course sounds odd in English. (Similarly to if you were to literally translate "How's it going?" from English to another language, the understood meaning of "How are you feeling right now?" wouldn't come through, since the words "it' and "going" have nothing to do with how you're feeling.)

Then there are name introductions, which seem like they should just be straight up names, but aren't because of what they mean. "I'm Under the Forest." "I'm Inside the Field." Huh? And wait til you see how they share their ages. Watch:

- YouTubeyoutu.be

To make things a little clearer, the name "Under the Forest" is almost certainly Morishita, a common last name in Japan (Japanese people generally introduce themselves by last name). The translation "under the forest" comes from Chinese characters used in Japanese, Kanji, that most Japanese last names are written in. Morishita is 森下 in Kanji, with 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 下 (shita) meaning "below" or "under." "Inside the Field" would be the name Tanaka, with a similar explanation, but with different characters.

As far as ages go, that's a whole other cultural quirk. In Japan, time is separated into imperial eras based on whoever the emperor is, and each era has a name. "Shining harmony 63" means she was born in 1989, or the 63rd year of the Shōwa ("shining harmony") era. Moons are months, and days are, well, days.

Japan, eras, calendar, moons, days, timeImperial eras of time. Canva Photos.

Japan is the only country where Japanese is an official language, but thanks to the tech boom there in the 80s and 90s—and the rise of the popularity of anime worldwide—the Japanese language has seen continually growing interest outside the archipelago nation. According to Brittanica, there are around 127 million Japanese speakers worldwide, with some 1.5 million Japanese immigrants (and their descendants) living in parts of North and South America with "varying degrees of proficiency in Japanese."

anime, popular anime, sailor moon, watching anime, japanesesailor moon walking GIFGiphy

(Side note: Having studied Japanese myself, I can attest that it's a very fun language to learn. The alphabets and Kanji are the hardest parts—the phonetics are consistent and the grammar is quite logical, with far fewer exceptions to the rules than English.)

In addition to videos like this one, Hikari offers Japanese lessons on her YouTube channel, Japanese with Hikari. You can also sign up for her newsletter, chock full of motivational posts, encouragement, and resources to keep subscribers motivated to learn Japanese.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Planet

45 years ago, Carl Sagan beautifully explained the fourth dimension with just an apple

Sagan was the Mister Rogers of complex scientific concepts.

via Carl Sagan Planetary Society/Wikimedia Commons and John Finkelstein/Pexels

Carl Sagan used a sliced apple to perfectly explain the fourth dimension.

The concept of the fourth dimension seems beyond human comprehension. As three-dimensional beings, we are unable to see beyond a physical object's height, width and depth. What else could there be? Even if you understand the concept, it is almost impossible to picture it in your mind, which is bound by the limits and realities of the physical world around us.

Enter Carl Sagan, revered as one of the greatest science communicators of his time. Perhaps best known for his research into extraterrestrial life, he was one of the first people to demonstrate that life could have existed on Mars. Sagan possessed a unique gift for demystifying complex scientific concepts, making them accessible and thrilling for the general public. If you never had the pleasure of watching him on television, you could imagine him as something of a Scientific Mister Rogers. Friendly, a wonderful storyteller, and always able to distill difficult lessons into their simplest form.

In 1980, on Episode 10 of the groundbreaking PBS show “Cosmos,” Sagan embarked on a mission to explain the seemingly impossible fourth dimension.


carl sagan, cosmos ,4th dimension, 3-D, 4-D, 2-D, physics, theoretical physics, math, science, space, spacetime, einsteinA great communicator and handsome, to boot.Giphy

Many of us have commonly heard of time being considered the fourth dimension. That's not so hard to understand — in order to locate an object in the universe, you'd need to know three dimensions of its spatial location and also the time during which it exists.

But there is also a more theoretical and harder to understand place, where all four dimensions are spatial. It is nearly impossible for any of us to comprehend... without the help of a gifted teacher.

What’s excellent about Sagan’s explanation is that he uses simple and relatable objects: an apple and a Tesseract, or a hypercube.

carl sagan, cosmos ,4th dimension, 3-D, 4-D, 2-D, physics, theoretical physics, math, science, space, spacetime, einsteinSagan explains that if an apple existed in a 2-dimensional space, anyone living in this "flatland" would only see a cross-section of it at a time.Giphy

"In discussing the large scale structure of the cosmos, astronomers sometimes say that space is curved. Or that the universe is finite but unbound," Sagan begins. "Whatever are they talking about?"

Yeah, this guy gets it.

Sagan then goes on to explain how a two-dimensional being living in a flat world would perceive a three-dimensional object like an apple.

Watch his full explanation here. It's hypnotic and entertaining and incredibly enlightening.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com


“Imagine we live in this ‘Fllatland’/2-D plane with no concept of ‘up’ or ‘down.’ Then along comes a 3-D object like an apple. We do not even notice it until it crosses our plane of existence — and even then, we have no idea what the apple is,” Sagan explains. “We see only a fragment as it passes through our plane. There is no way we can comprehend the 3-D quality/dimension of the apple, because it is more than we can understand. We only have the evidence of what has passed through our plane.”

To further demonstrate, Sagan stamps the apple into an inkpad and then onto the surface in front of him, which represents Flatland and all of its inhabitants. Inside Flatland, the apple exists only as its points of contact on the paper; or four small dots. He adds that as the apple passes through the 2-dimensional Flatland, its cross-section changes. So someone living in that plane of existence would experience the apple as an ever-shifting and rearranging set of shapes or objects. Wild!

Sagan then related this two-dimensional experience of the third dimension to how we might try to understand the fourth. To do so, he used the Tesseract, a four-dimensional cube, to demonstrate how difficult it is for us to perceive or visualize dimensions beyond our own three.

carl sagan, cosmos ,4th dimension, 3-D, 4-D, 2-D, physics, theoretical physics, math, science, space, spacetime, einsteinA tesseract can not exist in 3-dimensional space, but it can be approximated the same way a cube can be drawn on paper.Giphy

Sagan explains that the tesseract is a cube expanded into a 4th dimension, but "I cannot show you a tesseract because I, and you, are trapped in three dimensions." But what he can do is show us a 3-dimensional rendering of one. Just like a cube can be drawn and approximated (or cast a shadow) onto a piece of paper, a 4-dimensional tesseract can be imperfectly represented in 3-dimensional space. Still following?

At this point, Sagan is asking the viewer to expand their minds to understand the fourth dimension metaphorically. Though we cannot see it or even properly visualize it, that doesn't mean that the things we can see can't offer clues and lessons about the fourth dimension.

Studying 4-dimensional space can help in our understanding of the universe around us. Just because we see and experience only three dimensions doesn't mean that's all that exists. It's critical for physicists and mathematicians to be able to understand and map these theoretical spaces to better comprehend things we otherwise can not explain. Remember the ever-changing, rearranging set of shapes as the apple passes through Flatland?

Sagan’s demonstration of the fourth dimension isn’t just a wonderful explanation of a scientific idea that many of us find difficult to comprehend; it’s also a great example of how to teach complex ideas by combining clear explanations, everyday concepts everyone can understand, and brilliant storytelling.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Humor

13 men spill the weirdest, silliest secrets women don't know about guys

At some point, we've all fantasized about sacrificing our lives so others can escape danger.

Canva Photos

Tongs must be clicked a certain number of times. And all men dream of saving the day.

Men are simple creatures. We have far more emotional depth than we get credit for, but in truth we're very easy to please. It doesn't take much at all to truly make us happy: Good friends, a pat on the back, throwing rocks into a river. You know, the good stuff.

Alas, guys remain completely misunderstood. Modern masculinity forces men to wear masks, to conceal their emotions and true deepest desires for fear of ridicule and rejection. And it turns out that those deepest desires aren't really all that unusual. If you've ever wondered what the men in your life are really thinking about, it's probably much simpler and sillier than you could have ever imagined.

One man took to social media to clear up a few misconceptions. He posed the question: "What’s a 'guy secret' that’s completely harmless but weirdly universal?"


men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humorNo matter their age, men yearn for a sleepover with the boys. Photo by Husna Miskandar on Unsplash

Men from all over the world were eager to chime in and spill the tea, even as others jokingly urged them not to reveal too much.

1. Men play little pee games in the bathroom

"Peeing on the side of the toilet so there’s no noise," one user wrote in the popular thread on Reddit's r/AskMen.

Or aiming for little real or imaginary targets in the bowl. All guys do this whether anyone realizes it or not.

2. Men love a good hole, or a stick, or a rock

"It's also pre programmed that I must go and have a look if I see a bloke digging a hole," someone wrote.

Many users agreed that finding cool sticks and pretending they were guns or swords was a staple pastime. If you thought this was only something little kids do, you thought wrong.

3. Men also love a good piece of heavy machinery


men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humorMen appreciate a good piece of machinery.Giphy

"Had a problem with the fire alarm at work yesterday. A few of the guys and I went out to check out the firetruck. Real nice piece of machinery, that," a guy shared.

Tractors, Monster Trucks, helicopters. You don't have to be a total gearhead to appreciate the amazing engineering at work on these vehicles.

4. Men fantasize about saving the day

One guy said, "The most random universal one I can think of is at some point (or often) fantasizing about saving the day. School shooters, hijackers, someone robbing an elder in front of you, some dudes trying to hurt someone.... and in all situations you turn it around. Think everyone has thought of it at some point"

Can confirm. We've all pretended or imagined that we were the hero, rehearsed our lines for the follow-up interview on the evening news, and no, this urge doesn't go away any as we get older.

men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humorMen secretly want to be Captain America. Or just Chris Evans.Giphy

5. Men love the nod, and its many facets

'"The nods' with their subtle differences, but completely different meanings," one user wrote.

Another translated some of the meanings: "Nod up: what’s up dude? Nod down: hello sir"

And, "Nod to the right - come here and look at this. Nod to the left - can I have a word with you outside?"

And they say men don't communicate!

6. Items demand to be tested and fidgeted with

"When holdin a drill, it must be Zzzt Zzzted....Tongs must be clinked at least twice," someone wrote.

One does not simply hold a ball without tossing it from hand to hand, either.

7. Men dream of making the ultimate sacrifice

"We all fantasize about our death having meaning or purpose," someone added. "Holding the line while your brothers retreat. Sacrificing ourselves to save others. Fighting the boss fight and winning but slowly bleeding out in the soft snow and silence of a winters night. Till Valhalla, my brothers."

Yes, we all basically want to go out like Boromir from The Lord of the Rings. Gotta die one way or another anyway, right? Might as well go out in a blaze of glory.


men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humorA hero's death is something men fantasize about regularly.Giphy

8. Men sometimes perform acts of chivalry that no one notices

"Sadly maybe not universal, but my mum taught me the man always walks on the side of the road to protect the lady from puddles and such. ... A fair few of my exes didn't understand why I was switching sides when necessary, when we crossed the road or something," someone wrote. "I thought it was a shame it's not common. ... On the flip side, if I see a couple walking around, and see the man on the correct side, I immediately gain respect for him without having to know him in the slightest."

For many of us, holding the door for strangers or waiting to make sure a friend or loved one gets inside their house safely before we leave; things like this are engrained in us from a young age, even if they're sometimes invisible.

9. Men are deep, but very capable of thinking about nothing

"When we say we are thinking about nothing, we are thinking about nothing," a user wrote.

Others clarified that nothing can mean nothing, or can mean a stream of thoughts so inane and irrelevant that we wouldn't dare to speak them out loud, even if we could make sense of them.

10. Things should never be handed that can be thrown instead

"You never hand another guy the keys. They must be thrown, even if you’re 18" apart," a guy revealed.

I take this approach with my kids. Oh you want this shirt? Better catch it!

men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humorWe like tossing things instead of handing them over.Giphy

11. Men are highly superstitious.

The obvious must always be stated out loud, lest something terrible happen.

"If you don’t slap the tie down ratchet strap and say the words 'That’s not going anywhere' then it will in fact go somewhere," one guy said.

Similarly, if it's raining outside, we must always remark that it is 'really coming down out there' even though everyone can see it with their eyes.

12. Men secretly want a hug.

"Some guys want a hug bad but are afraid to say it. Try putting out a hand and saying 'do you do handshakes or hugs?' and a lot of people want a hug," a user added.

Don't assume that guys don't want or enjoy physical affection, even from each other, just because they might be too embarrassed to initiate it.

13. For guys, it doesn't get any better than adding another log to a roaring fire.

"Putting logs in a bonfire and watching it while being amazed. Never gets old," one man wrote.

How could you ever get bored of watching flames dance around?

The thread is a great reminder of the simple things that really make life worth living. A popular myth says that men think about sex every seven seconds, and otherwise they are machines of pure ambition, strategizing and scheming how to make more money and get ahead. Not so! What people don't know is that most of the time men are thinking about playing the hero, clicking a pair of tongs, or even nothing at all.

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Pets

Severely traumatized dog has breakthrough 13 days into foster care and everyone's bawling

Tiki was almost completely shut down and even experts worried he wouldn't be able to heal.

Courtesy of Isabel Klee (@simonsits/TikTok)

Tiki's healing journey is bringing people so much hope.

If someone were to walk into the shelter where Tiki the rescue dog was taken, he might be the last dog who would ever be chosen for adoption. Obviously traumatized from whatever abuse he had endured, Tiki was totally shut down and not in a "please pet me I just need some love" kind of a way. He was paralyzed with fear, wouldn't leave his bed, would sometimes bite, and would lose control of his bowels. Not exactly a dog you'd bring home for the kids.

Foster mom Isabel Klee (@simonsits on TikTok) shared that Tiki came to the shelter through the ASPCA, which handles sensitive and sometimes criminal cases that don't allow for background information to be shared. While she couldn't share the details of what Tiki has been through, it clearly wasn't good.

tiki, isabel klee, simon sits, rescue dog, shelter dog, animal abuseTiki was in bad shape when he was rescued, and people were worried he wouldn't be able to be rehabilitated.Courtesy of Isabel Klee (@simonsits/TikTok)

Experts who saw Tiki weren't sure about whether or not it was even possible for him to get better. Some behaviorists said he wouldn't. Some said getting him out of the shelter might help. Either way, it wasn't going to be an easy attempt, but Isabel was determined to give it a shot.

"I believe all dogs should be given a chance," she said. "Were gonna take it real slow and see what happens."

@simonsits

We’re so ready for you, Tiki. Thank you to @Muddy Paws Rescue and the @ASPCA for giving him a chance 🥺

Sure enough, Isabel and her partner Jacob took it very slowly. In fact, on Day 3 of fostering, Tiki was only just coming out of his crate occasionally for short periods. Isabel would feed him cheese a few times a day to get him used to being near her and accustomed to her touch without being frozen with fear.

@simonsits

Day 3 with Tiki: we’re starting to get a little more comfortable with touch 🥲 @Muddy Paws Rescue @ASPCA


On Day 6, Isabel removed the gate from around Tiki's crate and left him free to explore the apartment. At first, he didn't want to come out, but slowly he grew more courageous and comfortable. In fact, he didn't even flinch when Jacob and their dog, Simon, came into the apartment and Simon barked.

Seeing that he seemed okay with it, the family moved closer to him—but not too close—and he stayed where he was outside his crate. A big step forward.

@simonsits

Day 6 with Tiki: he hung outside of his crate for 30 ENTIRE MINUTES 😭 @Muddy Paws Rescue @ASPCA

By Day 11, Tiki had explored the apartment and made friends with Simon. He was clearly growing more comfortable and starting to show his personality a bit, but still wasn't comfortable with touch.

At this point, it's clear that he really wanted it, though. He walked up and sniffed Jacob and his body language often appeared to want affection. But as soon as they'd reach their hand toward him, he'd suddenly cower away. It's like he's having an internal fight between him wanting to be loved on and being afraid.

@simonsits

Day 11 with Tiki: every day we get closer and closer ❤️ @Muddy Paws Rescue @ASPCA

On Day 12, Klee shared a video synopsising their time together, from the first day when he wouldn't leave his bed to the twelfth day when he was comfortable pouncing around the apartment. The healing has been slow and incremental, but he has very clearly been making excellent progress.

@simonsits

Day 12 with Tiki: a little celebration for how far our boy has come! ❤️ @Muddy Paws Rescue @ASPCA

And then, on Day 13, it finally happened. This fearful, shut down dog approached his foster parents to ask directly for affection, and hoo boy was it everything anyone could have hoped for.

Such a simple gesture, but so incredibly meaningful:

@simonsits

Day 13 with Tiki: to be loved is to be changed 🥹 @Muddy Paws Rescue @ASPCA

The way he looked right into Isabel's face as she scratched his ears and face. So much trust. So much courage. Such vulnerability. So beautiful.

People completely lost it after following his story for nearly two weeks. Even big TikTok accounts like YouTube, Chewy, and Columbia Sportswear are invested and chimed in with feelings about Tiki's progress.

"13 days. A lifetime of neglect, of learning humans are bad creatures. And it only took him 13 days to give humanity another chance. 😭😭😭"

"The way he stared at you!!! Please tell Tiki we are so proud of him!! 😩🥹"

"I’m crying. The look Tiki gives you is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. It’s 'I am going to trust you. Please don’t hurt me.' He has wanted this so much."

"Thank god this happened on a Friday so I have two days to recover before work on Monday."

"56 year old mechanic crying on his couch."

"I love knowing thousands of us are crying at the same time."

"The level of vulnerability in his eyes is so touching. As they say, we don’t deserve dogs."

"Crying like everyone, but also realizing Tiki is a motivation to me and possibly others to be brave and move through our fears. Our pasts traumas do not define us. Thank you for sharing him."

OOF. Tiki still has a long way to go in his healing journey, but this milestone was huge. Kudos to Isabel and Jacob and Simon for giving Tiki the loving home and patient, tender care he needs to become the dog he's meant to be. You can follow Tiki's ongoing journey on TikTok.


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