+
upworthy

joy

Derrick Downey Jr. has been dubbed the 'squirrel whisperer.'

Most of us who live in the U.S. are used to looking out a window or walking out our front door and seeing squirrels. The cute, fluffy-tailed rodents often appear perfectly pettable, but they generally scamper away when humans get too close.

That is not the case for TikTok creator Derrick Downey Jr., however, as he has not only befriended his neighborhood squirrels but goes all out to help them live their best squirrel lives.

Downey shared a video in May of 2022 in which he chats with a couple of squirrels on his porch while feeding them and offering them water. That video received over 26 million views and kicked off a whole series of videos showcasing the adorable antics of Richard, Maxine, Hector, Consuela, Norma (may she rest in peace), and Hood Rat Raymond. He's built Richard a house, rescued Maxine's babies, mourned Norma's transition (to wherever squirrels go when they die) and more.

People can't get enough, and who can blame them? Squirrels are the best (when they're not tearing up your patio furniture and stealing cotton for their nest, as Downey has experienced.)

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

See if you can watch these 'Magic Flute' videos without laughing at least once

It seems that few can make it through the Magic Flute Challenge without losing it.

The Magic Flute challenge has people trying to stifle their giggles.

They say laughter is the best medicine, and it's true. When we're in a bad mood, it's practically miraculous how a good laugh can lift us out of it. Giggles can help relieve stress, which is good for our overall health, and as Patch Adams taught us, raucous joy can even help our bodies heal.

However, research shows that adults only laugh an average of 15 times a day, compared to children who laugh around 400 times a day. So we can all use some ways to laugh more.

Ironically, one almost surefire way to laugh is to be in a group of people who are trying to keep a straight face when something funny happens. There's something about trying not to laugh that makes it nearly impossible not to, especially when you're with others.

The "Magic Flute Challenge" illustrates this phenomenon beautifully—and hilariously.

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Jon Schmidt/upload.wikimedia.org

Portrait of Matthieu Ricard

Matthieu Ricard, often called "the happiest man in the world," says that the way for all of us to live sustainably on this planet is to adopt a culture of thinking about each other. And not just the others who are here right now, but also people we'll never meet.

He tells us some stuff that you're probably tired of hearing. We're exhausting our planets resources. Humanity has completely screwed everything up on this planet.

But stick around because he's going to get crazy surprising.

This is not a speech about recycling.

He points out that our situation is even more serious than you might have known. We're rapidly exceeding the planetary boundaries that make Earth habitable.
Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

If you're looking for a reason to smile, we've got 10 for you.

Bees and babies and bears, oh my!

This week's list of 10 things that made us smile is full of wee ones and wild ones, and they're all here to bring us joy. We've also got some Elton John awesomeness and a groom raising the bar with his bride gift, so take a scroll and share the smiles!

Keep ReadingShow less