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Joy

Facing a tiebreaker, Olympians asked if they could share a gold medal. Pure joy ensued.

@peacockTV/Twitter

This article originally appeared on 08.02.21


When Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi both landed their high jumps at 2.37 meters, they were in the battle for Olympic gold. But when both jumpers missed the next mark—the Olympic record of 2.39 meters—three times each, they were officially tied for first place.

In such a tie, the athletes would usually do a "jump-off" to determine who wins gold and who wins silver. But as the official began to explain the options to Barshim and Tamberi, Barshim asked, "Can we have two golds?"

"It's possible," the official responded. "It depends, if you both decide..." And before he'd even told them how sharing the gold would work, the two jumpers looked at each other, nodded, and then launched into a wholesome and joyful celebration guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Just watch:

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Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

KTVB/YouTube

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

This article originally appeared on 02.02.22


Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

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Joy

Instacart delivery person followed her instincts and ended up saving the life of a customer

@JessicaHiggs3/TikTok

Jessica Higgs had a sense that something wasn't right at a customer's house and her action saved his life.

This article originally appeared on 02.08.22


One the more mysterious aspects of being human is our sense of intuition. This "sixth sense" isn't something we can see or measure, but many people have experienced it in some form or fashion. Maybe it comes as a strong feeling that something isn't right, or that we or someone else should or shouldn't do something. It can be hard to read—not every feeling we get is truly our intuition—but there are plenty of examples of people trusting their instincts and being glad they did.

One such story has gone viral on TikTok. Jessica Higgs, a mom who works as an Instacart grocery delivery person, shared a story in an emotional video that illustrates the importance of listening to that inner voice when it prompts you to make sure someone is OK.

"I just want to start this off by saying if you see something, say something," Higgs said.

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Pop Culture

Watch the world's first female virtuoso kora player perform a beautiful West African love song

Sona Jobarteh and her band take listeners on a musical voyage in their version of "Jarabi."

YouTube

If music be the food of love, play on.

“Jarabi," meaning “beloved,” is a popular West African song that was written after the country of Mali gained independence from the French in 1960. Rich in metaphors symbolizing the people’s love for their country and culture, the song was meant to instill a sense of “hope and resolve,” according to World Music in Education.

The essential sound of “Jarabi” comes from the kora, a 12-stringed harp dating back to the 18th century. In Mande tradition—meaning that of the Mande speaking peoples of western Africa, which includes the country of Mali—playing the kora professionally was an exclusive sacred right reserved for males in families of tribal storytellers known as griots.

That’s what makes this recently resurfaced viral video from May 2022 so unique.

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