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Customers fill empty taco shop after daughter posts heartfelt Christmas wish for her mom

'It breaks my heart to see my mom watching the door every day, waiting for a customer to walk in,' wrote Isabel Milan.

taco bout joys, taco bout joys glenview, mexican food glenview

It's a Christmas miracle.

In Glenview, Illinois, you’ll find Taco-Bout-Joy’s, a restaurant owned by sisters Joy Milan and Kack Keomanivong, which boasts a menu full of delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine.

Only a short while ago, business was anything but booming for the family-owned shop. Joy’s daughter Isabel posted a heartbreaking video to TikTok showing her mother watching the door in hopes of customers. Meanwhile, the restaurant remained painfully empty.

Feeling for her mom, Joy wrote that her “Christmas wish” was to give Milan customers. Her sincerity clearly struck a chord with people, because the post garnered more than 39 million views and received a flood of compassionate comments from folks near and far.


“Op not me crying over this lady’s taco place thousands of miles away from me,” wrote one person.

@tacoboutjoys

I wish I could give her customers for Christmas

♬ In My Room - speedllist

Only a day later, Isabel posted an update. Taco-Bout-Joy’s underwent a complete turnaround—so many customers arrived that Joy had to enlist a new crew immediately. The video shows nine people working together in the bustling kitchen to fulfill a surge of orders.

@tacoboutjoys

If you found tears in your tacos, I’m sorry 💖

♬ original sound - Taco-Bout-Joys

“If you found tears in your tacos, I’m sorry,” wrote Isabel.

The good luck hasn’t slowed down. The restaurant shared on its Facebook page that Taco-Bout-Joy’s had been voted by netizens as one of “Chicago’s Best Mexican Restaurants.” And things are so busy now that the shop is currently hiring additional staff. Can you say Christmas miracle?

Viewers continue to share their love online as well. The business now has 244,000 followers.

“I’m so happy to be here to watch y’all grow,” one person commented.

People have driven from hours away to try Chef Joy’s food, and the reviews are glowing.

“Drove 3 1/2 hours and definitely worth it love supporting small businesses” one person commented.

Another wrote, “seriously thinking about driving the 7.5 hours from Nashville just to support and eat!”

On Dec. 10, Isabel sent a heartfelt thank-you in another TikTok update, saying that the experience has been “incredible.”

@tacoboutjoys

Just a couple of things. Please remember to be kind and patient 💖

♬ original sound - Taco-Bout-Joys

“We’re all super tired, but it’s been very worth it,” she added.

She later shared a little background about the restaurant, explaining what makes it so unique.

@tacoboutjoys

Originally posted by my cousin but thought I should share here! There’s so much more to our story 💗

♬ original sound - Taco-Bout-Joys

Joy, who’s Laotian, bonded with her mother-in-law, who hailed from Michoacán, Mexico, by learning traditional Mexican recipes. Their shared love of cooking broke any language barriers. Now, Joy blends both culinary traditions to create something new and honor both sides of the family.

“We all embrace our two cultures and food together as a family, and are so excited to be able to share that with you guys! Proud of my Lao-Mexican family,” Isabel wrote.

Thanks to the kindness of people—and the power of TikTok—a Christmas wish was granted. And now we all know a place we can go to get a delightful flavor fusion.

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

Gen Z is navigating a career landscape unlike any other.

True

Every adult generation has its version of a “kids these days” lament, labeling the up-and-coming generation as less resilient or hardworking compared to their own youth. But Gen Z—currently middle school age through young adulthood—is challenging that notion with their career readiness.

Take Abigail Sanders, an 18-year-old college graduate. Thanks to a dual enrollment program with her online school, she actually earned her bachelor’s degree before her high school diploma. Now she’s in medical school at Bastyr University in Washington state, on track to become a doctor by age 22.

a family of 6 at a graduation with two graduatesAll four of the Sanders kids have utilized Connections Academy to prepare for their futures.

Abigail’s twin sister, Chloe, also did dual enrollment in high school to earn her associate’s in business and is on an early college graduation path to become a vet tech.

Maeson Frymire dreams of becoming a paramedic. He got his EMT certification in high school and fought fires in New Mexico after graduation. Now he’s working towards becoming an advanced certified EMT and has carved his career path towards flight paramedicine.

Sidny Szybnski spends her summers helping run her family’s log cabin resort on Priest Lake in Idaho. She's taken business and finance courses in high school and hopes to be the third generation to run the resort after attending college.

log cabin resort on edge of forestAfter college, Sidny Szybnski hopes to run her family's resort in Priest Lake, Idaho.

Each of these learners has attended Connections Academy, tuition-free online public schools available in 29 states across the U.S., to not only get ready for college but to dive straight into college coursework and get a head start on career training as well. These students are prime examples of how Gen Zers are navigating the career prep landscape, finding their passions, figuring out their paths and making sure they’re prepared for an ever-changing job market.

Lorna Bryant, the Head of Career Education for Connections Academy’s online school program, says that Gen Z has access to a vast array of career-prep tools that previous generations didn’t have, largely thanks to the internet.

“Twenty to 30 years ago, young people largely relied on what adults told them about careers and how to get there,” Bryant tells Upworthy. “Today, teens have a lot more agency. With technology and social media, they have access to so much information about jobs, employers and training. With a tap on their phones, they can hear directly from people who are in the jobs they may be interested in. Corporate websites and social media accounts outline an organization’s mission, vision and values—which are especially important for Gen Z.”

Research shows over 75% of high schoolers want to focus on skills that will prepare them for in-demand jobs. However, not all teens know what the options are or where to find them. Having your future wide open can be overwhelming, and young people might be afraid of making a wrong choice that will impact their whole lives.

Bryant emphasizes that optimism and enthusiasm from parents can help a lot, in addition to communicating that nothing's carved in stone—kids can change paths if they find themselves on one that isn’t a good fit.

Dr. Bryant and student video meeting Dr. Bryant meeting with a student

“I think the most important thing to communicate to teens is that they have more options than ever to pursue a career,” she says. “A two- or four-year college continues to be an incredibly valuable and popular route, but the pathways to a rewarding career have changed so much in the past decade. Today, career planning conversations include options like taking college credit while still in high school or earning a career credential or certificate before high school graduation. There are other options like the ‘ships’—internships, mentorships, apprenticeships—that can connect teens to college, careers, and employers who may offer on-the-job training or even pay for employees to go to college.”

Parents can also help kids develop “durable skills”—sometimes called “soft” or “human” skills—such as communication, leadership, collaboration, empathy and grit. Bryant says durable skills are incredibly valuable because they are attractive to employers and colleges and transfer across industries and jobs. A worldwide Pearson survey found that those skills are some of the most sought after by employers.

“The good news is that teens are likely to be already developing these skills,” says Bryant. Volunteering, having a part-time job, joining or captaining a team sport can build durable skills in a way that can also be highlighted on college and job applications.

Young people are navigating a fast-changing world, and the qualities, skills and tools they need to succeed may not always be familiar to their parents and grandparents. But Gen Z is showing that when they have a good grasp of the options and opportunities, they’re ready to embark on their career paths, wherever they may lead.

Learn more about Connections Academy here and Connections’ new college and career prep initiative here.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

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Dad wonders if he was in the wrong for not allowing his tween daughter to wear a pushup bra

His story sparked a debate on what's actually appropriate for 12-year-old girls.

Canva

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Striking the balance between protecting kids and oppressing them is an age-old dilemma for parents. Perhaps this goes double for fathers with daughters, for even the best of intentions to shield their young girls from the darker aspects of adulthood can lean into sexism.

Take this well-meaning dad for example.

In a story posted to Reddit’s “Am I The A**hole?” forum, the father—and police officer—shared that he got the “cold shoulder” from his family after telling his 12-year-old daughter she couldn’t wear a push-up bra.
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This story first appeared on the author's Medium and is reprinted here with permission.

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A new trend shows that people aren’t only appreciating their toilet paper but finding new ways to use it that go beyond its traditional use: keeping toilet paper in their refrigerators. The most common reason is that it is an effective and affordable way to keep them smelling fresh and clean. It seems that TP’s absorbent qualities go far beyond the bathroom.

The new practice has been popularized on TikTok, where most new life hack trends seem to be springing up these days.

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@geaux75/TikTok

Molly was found tied to a tree by the new owners of the house.

Molly, an adorable, affectionate 10-year-old pit bull, found herself tied to a tree after her owners had abandoned her.

According to The Dodo, Molly had “always been a loyal dog, but, unfortunately, her first family couldn’t reciprocate that same love back,” and so when the house was sold, neither Molly nor the family’s cat was chosen to move with them. While the cat was allowed to free roam outside, all Molly could do was sit and wait. Alone.

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When we do the same job every day, sometimes it can be hard to put things into perspective. We can become accustomed to high-stress levels or too easily accepting of a day-to-day grind that isn’t very fulfilling.

Career coach Madeline Mann has shared a simple test on TikTok that helps people understand whether they are in the right job or should start looking for greener pastures. She calls it the “Dinner Table Test.”

Mann is the creator of Self-Made Millennial whose coaching program has helped thousands of people land roles at major companies such as Netflix, Google, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, NBC Universal, Amazon and more.

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