A woman named Jen Chia is having even the most cynical of us reconsidering the existence of fated encounters after finding an old selfie with her husband Jon visible in the background…years before they even met.
On Instagram, Jenn wrote “I’m still shaking looking at this,” sharing a photo taken in Oct 2012, where she appeared to be enjoying a drink at what appears to be a theater.
Behind her we see a bearded man casually standing with a backpack. That man was apparently Jon. Both were completely oblivious to their future significant others.
“We were at the same place but didn’t know each other existed,” she wrote.
Cut to a photo of Jenn and Jon on an amusement park ride, 2 years laters, when they officially met, then to a wedding photo, 9 years after that.
A few viewers linked it to the viral “invisible string theory,” which is the idea that one’s ideal partner is hidden in plain sight, until the universe decides it’s the best time for you both to meet. It’s a concept based on the Chinese mythology that has found new life on TikTok, similar to the ”shoe theory,” though that’s more about fated break-ups.
Whether the timing was part of fate’s plan or not, Jenn agrees that things worked out as they should.
In her vidoe’s caption, Jenn shared, “We met at the right time. If it was before, I don’t think the relationship would have lasted. I was a narcissistic monster, unaware and naive.”
“Took me a year of traveling and being single to reflect and realize my own mistakes. That’s when we met,” she added. “The right person will always find you at the right time.”
In the comments Jon agreed, saying, “So glad you didn’t meet me in the first picture. We were meant to go on our own journeys. We met a few years later at the perfect time ?”
Proving that these sort of kismet connections are perhaps more common than you think, previously Upworthy covered a similar story of a young woman who was going through old school photos when she discovered her late mother had been her current boyfriend’s kindergarten teacher.
From a purely scientific perspective, there is no irrefutable evidence that fated relationships exist. Still, many of us have felt inexplicably charged by connections and coincidences. Plus, research has shown that having a little magical thinking when it comes to love, like believing something is “meant to be” can help lead to more committed relationships.
Maybe Jenn and Jon are cosmically intertwined. Or maybe they are two people simply in the right place at the right time. Either way, their love story is a fun reminder that life is so often trying to work with us, not against us.
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Volunteers raise a wall for the framework of a new home during the first day of building at Habitat for Humanity’s 2025 Carter Work Project.
Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Marsha and her son pose for a photo while building their future home with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Georgia.
Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.
Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60+ countries where we work around the globe
Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
Generally speaking, humans want to be happy. At the very least, we want to live with a certain baseline of happiness, even knowing life comes with inevitable ups and downs. An entire self-help industry exists because of this desire, and there’s no shortage of advice on how to be happier.
But what if the key to happiness was actually knowing how to make yourself unhappy? That’s the idea behind CGP Grey’s video explaining “7 Tactics to Maximize Misery” (an adaptation of How to Be Miserable by Dr. Randy J. Paterson).
By detailing the habits that make us unhappy, it becomes quite clear why we might be struggling with happiness and what we might want to change. The main video includes a video footnote, in case it’s not abundantly clear that the tactics for misery are not meant to be taken as literal advice, but quite the opposite:
“You, like me, might find the advice on happiness kind of tiresome,” Grey says. “Almost irritating. So it might be more useful to think about how to achieve the opposite, and thus, to see how the actions we might take work against us…My dear viewers, do not take the main video as literal advice.”
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into the seven ways we can make ourselves miserable:
1. Stay still
“Remain indoors as much as possible, preferably in the same room,” Grey suggests. “Be the human equivalent of a pile of laundry…Don’t let a beautiful day tempt you for a walk. Avoid anything even vaguely exercisial.”
He explains that stillness will keep reward chemicals out of your brain and lead to health problems, which will help you stay in the cycle of stillness and misery. And to be even more miserable, make your bedroom your “all room,” doing all of your not-doing-anything-physical in one small space.
2. Screw with your sleep
“A regular sleep cycle is a fragile thing and takes at least three days to establish,” says Grey. “Be sure then to vary your bedtime by several hours twice a week, at least. Even better: vary your wake time. Sleep in late, preferably very late, some but not all days. And tell yourself you are making up for sleep to feel like you’re doing something healthy, even though you feel terrible when you wake up early and when you wake up late.”
Basically, you want to make sure you befriend irregular sleep and insomnia, never waking up or going to bed at the same time.
You should try to go to bed at the same time every night, even on the days when you do not have to work. Your body loves to have a routine so it knows when to rest and when to be active. When you sleep well, you wake up with a lot of energy to chase your dreams. A tired mind…
“Boredom could drive you to motion, so let the screen entertain you,” suggests Grey. “Tiredness can push you to sleep, so let the screen keep you awake, sort of, as long as possible. Always fall asleep with a screen in your hand and put your eyes back on it as soon as you wake.”
Grey explains that you have allies on this front:
“Behind the screen are teams of the smartest people and brightest bots competing to hold your attention on them as long as possible. Let them reach you to pull you back if you turn away.”
4. Use your screen to stoke your negative emotions
Grey suggests using your feed to fuel your “anger or anxiety about things over which you have no control or influence.”
By focusing on the bad and only contributing in meaningless, token ways, especially about things we actually care about, we can further fuel our resentment and despair, says Grey.
To sum up: “Be well informed while doing nothing.”
Many of us are familiar with the concept of SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Responsible (or Realistic), and Time-Bounded. Grey suggests setting VAPID goals instead: Vague, Amorphous, Pie-in-the-Sky, Irrelevant, and Delayed.
“Make the target unclear and the path unclear,” he says. “If motivation strikes, aim ridiculously high to guarantee failure. ‘I will clean the whole house today’ is much better than ‘I will do the laundry in this pile.’ Cleaning a whole house is impossible. There’s always more to do, so you will always fail.”
Definitely focus on a goal that comes after your current goal.
“With VAPID goals, you will turn the productive part of your brain from a dangerous source of self-improvement that rewards every small step into a consistent nag that berates you for your failure to have already accomplished your goal every step of the way,” Grey says.
6. Pursue happiness directly
“Imagine happiness as a place where happy people are happy all the time,” Grey says. “This turns happiness into an unreachable feeling of constant bliss that no one has.”
Grey explains that happiness is like a bird that you can’t catch but will land on your ship if you’re not looking. So your best bet is to focus on improving your ship to get it to warmer waters, where the bird will most likely be.
“So be sure never to do that,” he advises. “Aim toward the mirage of happiness rather than improving the ship upon which you sail.”
Is Your Pursuit of Happiness Making You Sad? | John Tsilimparis MFT, Psychology Today
Here’s how the “bliss trap” can hold you back.
Key points
– We live in a culture that treats "joy" as a moral obligation.
“Navigation deeper into the sea of sadness is quite easy, for there is a dark magnetic field that points the compass of your impulses in the right direction once you get started,” Grey says. “You will want to stay indoors, you will want to not exercise. You will want to sleep in, you will want to do what you know will make you sadder after you’ve done it.”
Following your feelings and impulses instead of focusing on the long term is a surefire way to increase unhappiness.
Reaction
If you felt personally attacked by this video, you’re not alone. As one commenter wrote, “My dude literally explained my life without missing the tiniest detail.” That was the point, but not the whole point. It wasn’t meant to just be a mirror, but to help people realize that happiness isn’t just a to-do list. It’s also a don’t-do list that many of us are very much doing.
This satirical approach to self-help may not be everyone’s cup of tea, of course. But some commenters found it much more effective than traditional “how to be happy” content:
“This was the hardest hitting wake up call in my life. Thank you.”
“I watch this frequently. The reverse psychology works a lot better for me than some random guy saying ‘You can do it.’”
“I’m dealing with depression, and this video both made me laugh, and helped a lot. Sincerely, thank you.”
“This is a perfect what-not-to-do tutorial that actually helps so much more than all the other ones telling you how to achieve happiness.”
“Why this video is so helpful: Instead of being one of those sappy, cheesy, motivational videos, this one shows you exactly what you’re doing wrong and sends an ‘Unless you want to amplify it, do the opposite’ message.”
“This video is just brilliant. He absconded good morals with playful satire, and once you are lured into the video expecting a laugh or two; you realize the flaw of such actions, and how easy it can be to break the cycle of misery. This video was more motivational for me than any video that puts forth a clear label of life-changing tips. I started the video laughing, and finished realizing how essential and simple it can be to take short strides towards fulfillment. Thank you so much for this, CGP Grey.”
There has been a growing discussion over the last couple of years, mostly initiated by Millennial parents, that their Baby Boomer parents aren’t there for their children. It’s believed that the absentee Boomer grandparent phenomenon stems from the generation’s financial success. In retirement, Boomers have more options to travel and pursue their interests than earlier generations did, which often chose to spend more time with family.
A common excuse among some grandparents is that they “did their time” as parents and don’t want to spend their golden years raising the next generation. Others will blame their children for refusing to foster a relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.
However, TikTok user Helen Devoted Granny, a grandmother in Devon, England, is going viral for being brutally honest: “I think it’s always the grandparents’ responsibility.”
Helen’s TikTok page expresses the joy of being a devoted grandparent while questioning those who aren’t there for their grandchildren.
Who is responsible for the grandparent-grandchild relationship?
“I think it’s always the grandparents’ responsibility,” Helen said in a video. “And as a devoted granny, I’ll explain why I think it’s the grandparents responsibility to always reach out, to be the one saying, ‘Well, can we help with this? Can we come and visit? Can we take them there? Is there anything you’d like me to do? Do you need some support this week? Do you need some support next week? These are my days off.’ Blah, blah, blah.”
She added, “That’s what I do. I’m a devoted granny, and I feel very strongly about this. And I don’t think kids should be the ones. Your children shouldn’t be the ones who need to facilitate that relationship. It’s up to the grandparents to do that.”
Helen also has some strong words for grandparents who don’t want to raise kids anymore because they believe that “it’s their time” now.
“I think if grandparents are coming back with things like, ‘Well, it’s our time now, it’s our time now.’ No, it’s not,” Helen said. “It’s your time to help your kids because it’s really difficult when your children are small. The help that you give them is so needed, and it’s so appreciated that, honestly, it’s your time to be with your grandchildren and to help in every way you can.”
The folks in the comments overwhelmingly agreed
Commenters applauded Helen, many of whom were upset that their parents never put any effort into building a relationship with their children.
“I recently read the following: ‘Active grandparents never want to stop being parents, while uninvolved grandparents never really wanted to be parents in the first place.’ This statement struck a chord,” Azucar wrote.
“I agree. No support or effort = no relationship,” Naarah added.
Kermy said that it’s all about priorities, which are easy to see: “If Grandparents can work out how to order expensive gadgets online, buy new cars and book holidays, they are more than capable of picking up the phone and contacting the grandkids themselves.”
Helen’s TikTok is a clear example of a truth in life: when people care about something, they take initiative. They don’t wait for other people to give them permission. In the end, no matter what side you take in the discussion, her message is clear: relationships don’t build themselves. When it comes to family, those who show up and take initiative are always going to be the ones who matter most.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani shared a heartfelt moment with a very special baseball fan before the game against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, April 18, at Coors Field. Ohtani met Momoyo Nakamoto Kelley, a 100-year-old survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945.
Through the help of her grandson Patrick Faust, Kelley had the chance to meet the Japanese baseball superstar down on the field. After finishing his warmups, Ohtani knelt before her, and the two shook hands. Ohtani also signed a baseball for her.
“I’m so lucky,” she told MLB.com. “I [went] home and called my brother in Japan…it’s a dream come true. I watch every game they play.”
Shohei Ohtani meets with a 100-year-old Japanese woman who survived the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. Amazing moment at Coors Field. pic.twitter.com/IACJ6XGDoy
She was 19 when the bombing occurred, according to Yahoo Sports. Kelley told MLB.com about the day the bomb hit, describing it as “like the sky was on fire.”
Kelley’s son-in-law added that she survived the bombing because she had been “upwind” from the explosion. After surviving, Kelley and her husband, whom she met on an Air Force base in Japan, emigrated to the United States in the early 1950s.
Ever since she moved to the U.S., she’s been a baseball fan, explaining that her earliest baseball memories are from the ’50s watching Joe DiMaggio. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was visiting family in Denver, Colorado, when the meeting came together.
“Just the idea that 100 is such a big number,” Faust told MLB.com. “I don’t think there are many people [still alive from] when the atom bomb was dropped. She’s had a terrible experience, a big one. So we wanted to [do something] special. She watches all the Dodgers games and all the Rockies games.”
And she has a soft spot for her fellow Japanese players.
“Within the past few years, especially, with all the Japanese players in the game, she’s been really into it,” Faust added.
Kelley also got to meet Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was born in Okinawa, Japan. She also met Tomoyuki Sugano, a Japanese player for the Rockies.
Kelley garners emotional responses
The meetings garnered emotional responses from those who met Kelley.
Sugano told MLB.com through his interpreter Yuto Sakurai, “Honestly, you don’t get these kinds of opportunities often. So I’m really happy I got to meet her and was given this type of opportunity. She said she’s really passionate and really likes watching baseball and is a fan of my former team [the Yomiuri Giants].”
Broadcaster Stephen Nelson also met Kelley and was moved to tears.
“I think…” Nelson started telling MLB.com before he became overwhelmed with emotion, a tear falling from his eye. “Forgive me. It’s humbling.”
“Just being ‘Yonsei’ [a great-grandchild of a Japanese immigrant], you’re standing on a lot of shoulders,” Nelson added. “For her to experience what she went through and endure that, and come here to make a better life for herself and future generations … we can’t even fathom that, right?”
He finished by adding, “And that’s why I think it’s important to hear their stories and to pass their stories along to future generations, so people don’t forget. It’s important for us to document them and honor them. I wish I had better words [to convey it].”
It’s not surprising that the whimsy of a young girl seeing a rainbow for the first time garnered a lot of likes on social media. And, of course, the dad who showed her the rainbow was overjoyed by her sweet reaction. But it was also the beautiful outpouring of love from people he had never met that shocked and moved him.
In an Instagram Reel, Daniel Hong, a professional fitness instructor, can barely contain his own excitement as he realizes that the sun has peeked through a gorgeous cloudy sky in the Pacific Northwest. With the chyron reading, “I caught my daughter’s favorite thing in the whole world,” we zoom in on Daniel. He exclaims, “There’s a rainbow outside! I’m picking up my daughter Olivia from daycare. I’ve gotta show her!”
We see four-year-old Olivia (dressed in a T-shirt with a pastel-colored version of a rainbow) begin to run toward the front door. Daniel instructs her, delight dripping from his voice. “Go out the door and to the right. Right! Right! Which way is right? There you go!” We then jump cut to Daniel carrying Olivia, who is all smiles. “There it is, there it is!” he tells her. “Do you see it? It’s over there in the clouds!” Olivia gasps. “I do! Take a picture!”
The camera does just that, capturing the beautiful wavelengths of light as they stretch over white school buses.
Daniel and his wife Aly, with whom he also shares a one-year-old baby named Camryn, have always known Olivia loved rainbows. He told Upworthy just why this moment was extra special:
“This was her first (conscious) experience of a rainbow! She’d been drawing rainbows on her own since she was two, and this was such a great moment to see a huge one IRL. She loves art, singing, and dancing.”
How rainbows work
As far as whether or not she understood why rainbows form, Daniel said she’s more interested in the wonder of it than the “why” just yet.
“We’ve tried to explain to her how rainbows form in simple terms haha: ‘When it rains and the sun shines, the sky paints a rainbow?’ But she’s more like, ‘Yeah, it’s just magic,’ lol.”
He was equally impressed by the community of rainbow-lovers who took the time to share their stories.
“I was overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of comments and hundreds of DMs from those who’ve sent us their personal pictures and shared memories of rainbows and their significance to them. A magical moment with their own parents, kids, and even remembering loved ones who’ve passed.”
One comment in particular struck him.
“My favorite comment is from a mother who shared how she and her son would chase rainbows together too. He has since passed away, but she mentioned in her comment how my video was yet another reminder that the memories of our loved ones live on forever through the joy we can never forget being shared together.”
So much love
Under the original Reel, which has well over half a million likes and over 5,000 comments, Daniel publicly shared his appreciation for so many people reaching out:
“I’m so shocked by the number of you guys who’ve seen this video of me and my daughter and have sent us pictures of rainbows you’ve captured, telling us how much joy this 30-second video has brought you, but more importantly, the feeling of whimsy and hope this gave you.
When we all fully participate in life passionately, and be present…we just never know the powerful impact of a seemingly simple moment. Please keep the positivity, joy, and magic strong and alive in your own lives. And please share it with others. Our world needs your joy. – In love always, The Hongs”
Olivia is delighted by a rainbow. Photo credit: Instagram
One Instagrammer believed that this act of joy will be paid forward, writing, “She’s always gonna remember how her daddy used to run to rainbows with her. Then she’ll do the same with her kids, and on that way you’ll live on forever through the rainbows of your children’s children’s children.”
As Danielle and her son were sitting near the field at a San Francisco Giants night game, the ultimate fantasy happened: A player actually made eye contact.
As most any parent would, Danielle wanted to capture the moment, so she rushed to grab her phone. Unfortunately, Danielle told People, “That’s when it hit the rail and fell over onto the field.”
In her video posted to TikTok, we see Danielle smiling with a baseball in her hand as the camera pans down to the accidentally discarded device lying on the ground.
A moment of relief and laughs
Danielle told People that she did have to notify security, then had to anxiously wait in uncertainty for about 45 minutes, but thankfully did get her phone back…only with one additional surprise, one she wouldn’t realize until she began scrolling through her phone later that night.
There, in her camera roll, were selfies taken by the four field crew members who had found the phone. A fun surprise from total strangers who decided to have a little fun while helping out.
Hoping to thank the crew, Danielle shared her video, writing, “POV: You drop your phone at the Giants game and get it back with selfies. Find them for me TikTok hahha made my night,” in the caption.
Going viral
Though it seems the crew has yet to be identified, the video has gone viral, with 1.2 million views.
It even caught the attention of the official Giants account, which commented, “We like to have fun around here.”
That last part was particularly “exciting” to Danielle’s son, she told Upworthy. All in all, she commended the Giants’ staff for turning a stressful moment into a lighthearted one—one that Danielle noted “definitely made me wanna go back to another game.”
Anyone who has ever dropped their phone in a crowded place knows the immediate wave of panic that follows, especially when there’s no easy way to retrieve it. Thankfully for Danielle (and, in turn, all of us), the story didn’t end there and provided a few laughs along the way. Plus, she and her son now share a fun memory they can return to time and time again, so long as she doesn’t lose her phone a second time.
Stories like this are popping up more often online
From wedding photographers discovering surprise shots left by guests to travelers finding bonus photos after handing their phones to someone for a quick picture, strangers slipping in a selfie has quietly become a bit of a social media phenomenon. It’s a small, low-stakes way for people to leave their mark, turning a mundane moment into something unexpectedly personal.
Undoubtedly, part of the appeal is how harmless and fleeting it feels. There’s no grand gesture…just a quick snap, and bam, you’re done. And yet, that’s the magic of humor, isn’t it? It doesn’t need much to connect us. In cases like these, pictures really are worth a thousand words.
At Little Joy Coffee, you’ll find lattes that are more like works of art than caffeinated beverages. You’ll see a wide array of exotic flavor pairings like “ginger beer and lemon cream,” as well as dreamy drinks that are more like desserts, à la “sticky toffee pudding.”
However, what you won’t find there is any gatekeeping.
As Cody Larson, owner of Little Joy, explained to Upworthy, transparency and generosity have always been a part of the company’s DNA.
At first, that looked like their “Latte DIY or Buy” social media series, where Little Joy Coffee barista Serena Walker would break down the labor and ingredient costs to make one of their signature drinks so that customers could decide whether or not it was worth spending upwards of $8.
What was meant to drive online engagement actually paid off in real life, too. The cafe got much busier after it started giving recipes away.
Then came the raspberry danish latte
…which is a delectable caffeinated concoction featuring homemade raspberry syrup and cream cheese cold foam (That’s a thing? Will wonders never cease!).
Copyright Ryan Hutchinson, 2016.
That quickly became the shop’s bestselling latte. But as Larson shared, it didn’t feel like enough to share the at-home recipe for this drink. Nor did they want their growing fanbase online to miss out if they lived far away from Northfield, Minnesota, and didn’t have the time and energy to DIY.
That’s when they decided to share it with other independent coffee shops.
“We’re inviting any coffee shop to steal this drink and put it on their own menu. Not you, Starbucks,” Walker said in the now-viral video, revealing that Little Joy Coffee would offer an at-scale recipe to any small-business competitor.
“I was a little worried that no one would put it on their menu and we’d look like losers,” confessed Larson.
But the next morning, the recipe had already been downloaded 9,000 times.
So far, about 450 shops across the globe have taken the offer, including shops in Canada, the U.K., South Korea, Malaysia, and New Zealand. And the raspberry danish latte seems just as popular, no matter where it’s sold.
“We don’t even have it on the regular menu because the raspberry syrup we’re making is going so fast,” Ripesh Neupane, owner of 33 Peaks Café in Southlake, Texas, told Today. “If we keep it on the menu, we wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand.”
“Exclusivity as a selling point might be dead”
For Larson, the biggest takeaway from this experiment is that “exclusivity as a selling point might be dead.”
She argued that, more than the recipe itself, what made the raspberry danish latte really take off was the sense of camaraderie it built in the real world.
“People appreciated that a bunch of independent coffee shops got together to take something off the screen and bring it out into the real world, where almost everyone can try it,” she said.
If you’re curious about where the nearest opportunity to get your hands on one of these decadent raspberry danish lattes is, you can check out this map.
Here’s to one small step for small businesses, and one giant leap for the return of community.
An elephant’s trunk is more than just its defining physical trait. They use it to take in nutrition, to snorkel while swimming, to spray water or dust on their bodies for hygiene and protection, and to communicate, lifting it high to show a perceived threat, or intertwining it with another to display affection.
So you can imagine the profound loss that might have been experienced by Long’uro, the elephant calf left with only a third of his trunk after a hyena attack. And yet, his story is one of hope, not just tragedy.
A devastating start: a calf loses most of his trunk
About six years ago, the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary received a call that a gravely injured baby elephant was stuck in a nearby well, traumatized not only by the harrowing attack, but also by the abandonment of his mother.
A fight for survival that almost didn’t happen
As vets rushed to the scene, poor Long’uro’s situation looked dire. He could barely breathe and had lost a lot of blood. For a moment, euthanasia seemed to be the only option.
Yet, the team saw the calf fighting for his life and decided they wouldn’t give up hope either. So, they airlifted him to a place where they could properly care for him. He was named Long’uro, which loosely translates to “he who has been cut” in Samburu.
The caregiver who changed everything
After Long’uro underwent surgery, Mary Lengees, one of Reteti’s elephant keepers, was charged with keeping his wounds clean and managing his follow-up vet visits. But she ended up providing so much more than that. As Long’uro struggled to navigate the world without his trunk, Lengees provided constant comfort, patience, and care. Because of this, Long’uro’s spirits never dwindled, and the two developed a powerful bond.
Then, a few more baby elephants joined the nursery, providing Long’uro with his own set of friends. Pretty soon, his “joyful, boisterous” personality began to come alive, the Reteti website recalled.
Thriving against the odds
Six years later, and sweet Long’uro has figured out life on his own terms. He’s able to feed and clean himself, has grown big and strong, and is well-received in his herd. And Reteti credits him for all of it.
“His unrivalled resilience in his fight for survival pulled him through…His life represents so much…but ultimately, Long’uro’s story is one of courage.”
A story that’s still moving people today
Recently, Nature on PBS posted a video where Lengees recalled Long’uro’s story, visibly getting teary as she did. This, in turn, left thousands completely moved.
“I’m so glad that the baby was saved and there are caring people looking out for him. You can tell the woman is very emotional about it. She’s an angel! I might be on the other side of the world, but my heart breaks, and my tears fall just the same.”
“He saw she was crying and sad, remembering his story, and came over to give her snuggles. What a sweet pair.”
“What a compassionate young woman. It’s evident that she cares deeply for the elephant and his plight.”
How you can help Long’uro’s next chapter
In celebration of Long’uro’s “6-year rescueversary,” Reteti is currently trying to raise $60,000 to support his care, which will ultimately help him return to the wild along with his herd. If you’d like to contribute to this next chapter, you can do so here.
For many, the biggest pain point in American life since the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rising cost of everyday necessities: rent, gas, and groceries. There’s been a perfect storm of government spending, tariffs, wars, labor disruptions, and supply-chain problems that have made costs rise with no end in sight.
It’s easy for the average American to look at their bank balance just a week after payday and wonder where all the money went and whether everyone else is feeling the same budget crunch. It’s normal to question whether you are overpaying for groceries or doing what’s necessary to get by.
How much does the average American spend on groceries?
A recent report by GroceriesTracker found that the average American grocery bill for a family of four is about $1,430, with bills ranging from $950 to $1,760. It arrived at these numbers using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s official food plan data, which has four tiers of grocery shoppers, ranging from “thrifty” to “liberal.” The average number chosen by GroceriesTracker reflects how much the average American family spends on the moderate tier.
Of course, these numbers can fluctuate wildly based on where you live, whether you’re in the most expensive state, Hawaii, or the most affordable, Mississippi. It also depends on where you shop, whether it’s at a grocery outlet or an organic store. Families with teenagers are also going to spend much more on food than those with kids in elementary school.
Regardless, your grocery budget has probably steadily (and sometimes rapidly) increased since 2017.
US grocery prices have never been more expensive:
The average cost of groceries for a family of 4 is now up to a record $1,030/month.
This marks a +$280 increase since January 2017, when the average family spent $750 a month.
Unfortunately, trends suggest we will probably never return to 2020 food costs, but inflation should gradually decline to 2 to 2.5 percent over the next year. In simple English, things are going to get more expensive, but not as rapidly as before. A lot of this could change depending on the war in the Middle East, which could drive up transportation and energy costs, leading to more expensive items at the checkout aisle.
The USDA says that planning meals helps you save money and choose healthy options. Also, knowing what you need ahead of time can help you avoid overspending.
2. Make a simple list
When you make a grocery list and stick to it, you will be less likely to overspend on impulse buys that you probably don’t need.
3. Use unit pricing to get the best deal
When comparing products, look at the shelf tag below each product. Take a look at the price per ounce, per pound, or per count to get the most bang for your buck. This will tell you whether buying the smaller or larger box saves you the most money.
4. Clip coupons, sign up for loyalty programs
If you’re new to couponing, a great place to start is with digital apps for your local supermarket. There are also plenty of online coupon databases that aggregate coupons. Plus, don’t forget to check your mail and local newspapers for deals in your area.
5. Buy in bulk
With a little pre-planning, you can save around 27% by buying products such as frozen meats, canned goods, and toiletries in bulk at your local warehouse store.
