upworthy

wholesome

What an amazingly kind gesture.

Closed adoptions—meaning adoptions with no contact between the biological parents and adoptive families—offer privacy, protection and emotional closure. However, it can understandably still be incredibly difficult for biological mothers to instantly and drastically remove their biological child from their life, even if they know they are doing what's best.

This was the case for Alicia Mae Holloway’s biological mom. In a video shared to her TikTok account, the dancer and television personality shared that her adoptive mother, Evelyn, “saw how hard it was” for her birth mom to give Holloway up for adoption. So Evelyn came up with a kind gesture that Holloway dubbed “the sweetest thing.”

“She was like, ‘okay, I’ll make you a deal. Every six months, I’ll send you a picture of Alicia and a little update in a written card of how she’s doing.’”

Getting those biannual letters out wasn’t as simple as dropping them off in the mail either.

As Holloway explained, she had been conceived during an affair her birth mother—a white woman, married to a white man, with three white children—had with a Black man. Not only could Holloway’s birth mom not afford a fourth kid, she feared what her “racist” family might do upon seeing a biracial baby, and told everyone that it was a stillborn.

All this to say, Holloway’s birth mom didn’t want the letters arriving at her home, potentially risking anyone from her family seeing it. Evelyn would therefore need to send the letters to a friend’s house.

But sure enough, Evelyn kept good on that promise. For 17 years, Holloways' birth mom got to celebrate milestones in her daughter’s life. Meanwhile, Holloway had no idea this exchange was happening.

“I get chills when I think about how she was watching me grow up and I had no idea,” Holloway told Today. “She knew I was a dancer and that I was doing beauty pageants and that I was a good kid.”

Holloway added that just before her 18th birthday, she was made aware of her adoptive mom’s kind gesture. And they even went to meet Holloway’s birth mom, an event Holloway that noted was in many ways more emotional for her two moms than it was for her, recalling that both women “had a long, long, long embrace and were both bawling their eyes out.”

As for Holloway, she told Today that she feels no ill will towards her biological mom. Rather, she sees the decision as “an act of love," that set her up for a truly “amazing life.” At the end of their meeting, after the important questions pertaining to family health history and whatnot, all she had to say was “thank you.”

And from the looks of it, she is as happy as ever living life with her adopted parents, who honestly could pass for her biological parents any day.

It's interesting to think about how none of us know our full life story, how many things both bigs and small remain mysteries. But when we are lucky enough to discover hidden truths, we unlock yet another part of ourselves.

This article originally appeared last year.

Pop Culture

UPS driver breaks down into tears saying goodbye to dogs he's known for over 10 years

The driver was making his last route, and shared an emotional farewell with his furry friends.

Mail carriers are a vital part of our community.

People in service jobs can become really bonded and connected with the people they serve—as well as their animals.

For a Georgia-based UPS driver, his last shift meant having to say goodbye to two sweet Brittany breed pups that greeted him along his route over the past 10 years. Bidding that decade-long friendship farewell was nothing less than a tearjerker.

In a touching clip shared by @ABC News' TikTok on June 23, the UPS driver (named Mario) makes his way to the house, package in hand, as the dogs welcome him with full tail-wagging excitement. Honestly, without the sniffles of the dog mom capturing the video, you’d probably think nothing of this interaction.

 ups driver, ups, brittany dogs, positive news, feel good stories, wholesome tiktok, dogs A Brittany puppy.Photo credit: Canva

“Hey Mario,” the woman says, overcome with emotion. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Mario whispers back, also verklempt.

“I love you man, I really do,” the woman says, to which Mario replies, “Thank you I love you too.”

While the dogs don’t audibly say anything, the love they feel for Mario is also very visible. The entire video is five seconds shy of a minute, yet it packed quite the emotional punch in very little time.

 
 @abcnews After more than a decade of dog treats and deliveries, a UPS driver in Georgia shared an emotional moment with a couple of pups and their owner as he bid them farewell during his last shift.
 ♬ original sound - ABC News 
 
 

“This should be a UPS commercial," one person wrote.

Even the official UPS TikTok account chimed in, saying “You never expect a goodbye to hit this hard.”

So many people shared their appreciation for some truly positive interactions, especially in such dark and uncertain times.

“THIS is what our world needs,” one person wrote, while another echoed, “this is what this world is supposed to be like, nothing but love.”

“I needed this today. There's so much hate in this world. My heart really hurts,” added a third.

Indeed, there might be many unsavory things happening right now, but so much of the world also looks just like this, full of harmonious coexistence, shared appreciation, easygoing friendships, and love for one another. Those things might not always make headlines, but they do exist, and sharing these moments gives us reason to keep going.

 ups driver, ups, brittany dogs, positive news, feel good stories, wholesome tiktok, dogs A mail delivery carrier.Photo credit: Canva

It also just goes to show how mail carriers provide not only a vital service, but a sense of much-needed community to animals and humans alike. As folks in the comments suggested, Mario, the woman, and the doggos can hopefully continue their friendship even if his time at UPS is ending. After all, why rob these pups of their BFF?

@cosmo_andtheoddparents/TikTok

Nobody loves their doctor as much as this guy.

Not every dog might jump with joy after seeing their vet out in public. But for Cosmo the Golden Retriever, it was practically Christmas all over again when he spotted his own vet, Dr. Jones, at a brewery.

In an adorable clip posted to TikTok, we see Cosmo in pure, unadulterated bliss as he snuggles with an equally happy Dr. Jones, who, considering he’s still in his scrubs, might have just gotten out of work to grab a quick pint.

Watch:

Ugh, the cuteness is too much to handle! People in the comments could barely contain their secondhand joy.

“He looked over like, “Mom, do you see who this is?” one person wrote, while another said, “What in the Hallmark movie? Adorable!!”

One person even joked, “Did we all check the vet’s hand for a wedding ring? (Said as a married woman. Looking out for you all, or something.)”

According to Hannah Dweikat, Cosmo’s owner, the two actually share quite a history. She tells Upworthy that when Cosmo was but a wee pup, he “gave a scare” after eating a Sago Palm seed, which are highly toxic to dogs, from a plant in their backyard, which of course resulted in him being rushed to the animal hospital and staying there over the weekend.

While that’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare, and certainly a scary situation for the poor fur baby, Dweikat says that “the calm and patient demeanor” of Dr. Jones and his staff put Cosmo at ease. And because of this, “Cosmo has always loved going to see his friends—especially because they give him lots of treats and snuggles.”

Cosmo and Dr. Jones’ buddyship has also blossomed thanks to proximity, as Dweikat only lives down the street from the clinic. “Which means we get to see Dr. Jones and his staff out in public at times and Cosmo takes every chance he can get to say hi,” she explains. This time, however, she was able to capture it all on video. Yay for us!

What makes a good vet?

While not every vet, however gifted, will be able to elicit this type of reaction from their patients, having a calming presence like Dr. Jones is certainly a good sign for pet owners to be on the lookout for when shopping around for their own vet. But that’s not the only quality a good vet needs. According to Saint Matthews University, a vet also needs to have high stamina (both physically and mentally), as well as an ability to tolerate unpleasant situations (you can’t faint at the sight of blood or vomit), a high level of emotional intelligence (maybe all doctors should possess this skill, but especially those who work with animals), adaptability, a sense of enthusiasm, and finally, excellent communication skills.

Dr. Jones seems to have these attributes in spades, and his patients clearly love him for it. None so much as Cosmo, obviously. Though Cosmo, it seems, shares a fondness for many things, like toys, fishing, and paw days. what he doesn't love so much is waiting outside for mom to get her coffee.




 
 @cosmo_andtheoddparents Paw day routine 🐾 #ad Thank you @pethroom.global @pethroom_angel for the paw care kit! My beans are looking pawsome! #goldenretrieversoftiktok #goldenretriever #doglover #dailyfluff #pawcare #pawsome #doglife #charlestondog #charlestondogs #pawday #spaday ♬ original sound - Cosmo 
 
 


If you’re in need of even more content featuring this precious pup, you can follow Cosmo on both TikTok and Instagram.

This article originally appeared in February

Kids

Big brother steps in for his sister's father-daughter dance and then steals the show

“I don't know if he knows what an impact he's making as her big brother, but she'll never forget this.”

Best brother ever.

Even for the parents who prioritize showing up for their kids, missing a child's event now and then might be unavoidable. But certain occasions are more painful than others when a parent can’t show up, and fatherless father-daughter dances undoubtedly fall into this category.

In June 2024, six-year-old Harper was nearly put in this situation when her dad couldn’t show up to her dance studio's annual summer showcase—which normally includes a father-daughter dance—because of a work commitment.

Thankfully, her 14-year-old brother Micah is the coolest brother in the world, and stepped up to take her dad’s place so she wouldn’t miss out.

In a mega-viral video posted to Instagram by Harper and Micah’s mom, Patrice Thompson, we see the duo have a blast as they twirl in circles, fist bump, and end with an adorable lift for their “Barbie and Ken” themed routine.

“Core memory for the team today,” Thompson wrote in the caption. “I don't know if he knows what an impact he's making as her big brother, but she'll never forget this.”

 

Micah didn’t just have an impact on Harper. So many people left comments sharing how impressed and moved they were by his kindness.

“In a world of boys he is a gentleman,” one person wrote, referencing a Taylor Swift lyric.

Another offered a touching truth, writing, “As a man whose dad walked away from me, this makes me so emotional. You are raising your son to be the cycle breaker. He won’t end up repeating cycles of toxic masculinity like so many of the men we see today. he will be a better man. And his little sister will grow up knowing what a real man should be like, because she has her big brother to show her."

One comment commended Micah for stepping out of his comfort zone, saying, “Bless his sweet heart. I know how big that is for a 14 year old to put himself out there. Major props!”

“Watching him lift her up at the end got me i can’t lie i teared up 🥲🥲” another shared.

“As a girl who had my older brother participate in my “father-daughter” dances for drill team in high school, this made me soo emotional! 😭 this is a special moment they will remember forever,” reminisced another.

And perhaps the best (and truest) comment of them all, was this one: “Does your son know he's a legend?”

In an interview with Newsweek, Thompson shared that while she is “so proud” of her son, especially since most boys his age “would rather do anything else than perform a routine in front of their peers and during summer when he could be off with friends.” However, she is “not super surprised” that he what he did. “That's the young man he is!" she exclaimed, adding “he truly understands the meaning of being selfless."

To all the brothers who would show up for their siblings in this way—thank you. Your generosity and compassion really do help make the world a better place, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Here's the family all together: Mom, Dad, Micah, Harper, and the newest addition born earlier this year, baby Christian. Hopefully the new baby boy knows he won the sibling lottery.

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