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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Grab your boost of serotonin here.

joy, happiness, good news
Polina Tankilevitch/Canva

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

Holy moly—it's fall, y'all!

As pumpkin spice swoops in and we start unpacking our cozy sweaters and cute boots, we can practically taste the seasonal change in the air. Fall is filled with so many small joys—the fresh, crisp smell of apples, the beauty of the leaves as they shift from greens to yellows, oranges and reds, the way the world gets wrapped in a warm glow even as the air grows cooler.

Part of what makes the beauty of fall unique is that it's fleeting. Mother Nature puts on a vibrant show as she sheds what no longer serves her, inviting us to revel in her purposeful self-destruction. It's a gorgeous example of not only embracing change, but celebrating it.


We can find joy in every season when we look for it. That's the beauty of joy—it isn't limited to a certain time or place. It can be cultivated and harvested wherever we are, at any given time.

We're harvesting some joy right here and now. Here are 10 tidbits of joy to warm your heart and put a smile on your face.

1. John Cena sets a new world record with 650 wishes granted with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

commons.wikimedia.org

John Cena has become the Make-a-Wish Foundation's most requested celebrity—and he never turns anyone down. He's now fulfilled the wishes of 650 kids, which is about as Upworthy as it gets. Read about some of the wishes he's granted and why it's so important to him here.

2. Baby gets lost in the sauce and can't stop laughing long enough to sleep. (Or maybe vice versa.)

How dang adorable is that?

3. A young man invited a 100-year-old veteran to spend a day at Disneyland with him and it's pure joy.
@isaiahgarza

I took a 100 year old veteran to Disneyland & we became best friends ❤️ #disneyland #kindness #friends #veteran #bestfriends

What a beautiful lesson in kindness. Read the full story here.

4. Fact: Babies belly laughing is the best sound in the world.

And it's especially delightful when they're laughing along with a sibling. I could watch this all day long.

5. Lizzo played James Madison's 209-year-old crystal flute at the Library of Congress and PHEW.

Clips from Lizzo's concert at Capital One arena went viral this week as she played a couple of notes on the flute on stage. This video from the Library of Congress shows off her flute-playing skills much more impressively, however. Read more about these historically significant moments here.

6. Wise dad knew exactly what to do when passing the toy store at the mall.

So simple, yet so brilliant. She even thought it was fun. Well played, dad.

7. Blake the rescue Rottweiler sings along with his owner and even matches her pitch.
@chopfromgta

Reply to @mc.lex please watch until the end 😭🥺🤍 #dogsoftiktok #rottweiler #rottweilersoftiktok #petsoftiktok #animals

Blake knows how to bring it. Read the full story here.

8. Amanda Nguyen's story of how she changed sexual assault laws for survivors is incredibly inspiring.

Millions around the world have been positively impacted by her relentless dedication to survivors' rights. Brava, Amanda. Read more about this amazing woman here.

9. Mama kitty showing her baby to her human mama's baby is just too sweet.

"Look! You two are the same!"

10. Let's dance our way through the weekend like this mom and son doing their morning routine.

That kiddo's got some moves. Noice.

Hope that brought a few smiles to your face! If you enjoyed this post and want to have more Upworthy stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe to our free newsletter, The Upworthiest.

Come back next week with another roundup of joy!


Time travel back to 1905.

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.






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Joey Grundl, Milwaukee pizza guy.

Joey Grundl, a pizza delivery driver for a Domino's Pizza in Waldo, Wisconsin, is being hailed as a hero for noticing a kidnapped woman's subtle cry for help.

The delivery man was sent to a woman's house to deliver a pie when her ex-boyfriend, Dean Hoffman, opened the door. Grundl looked over his shoulder and saw a middle-aged woman with a black eye standing behind Hoffman. She appeared to be mouthing the words: "Call the police."

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via PixaBay

Being an adult is tough.

Nothing can ever fully prepare you for being an adult. Once you leave childhood behind, the responsibilities, let-downs and setbacks come at you fast. It’s tiring and expensive, and there's no easy-to-follow roadmap for happiness and success.

A Reddit user named u/Frequent-Pilot5243 asked the online forum, “What’s an adult problem nobody prepared you for?” and there were a lot of profound answers that get to the heart of the disappointing side of being an adult.

One theme that ran through many responses is the feeling of being set adrift. When you’re a kid, the world is laid out as a series of accomplishments. You learn to walk, you figure out how to use the bathroom, you start school, you finish school, maybe you go to college, and so on.

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Pop Culture

Listen to this organ in Croatia that uses the sea to make hauntingly beautiful music

It's a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.


In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

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Modern Families

A comic from The Oatmeal illustrates how we're missing the mark on happiness.

I do the things that are meaningful to me, even if they don't make me "happy."

By Matthew Inman/The Oatmeal. Used with permission.

How to Be Perfectly Happy


Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning author of The Oatmeal. He's published six books, including New York Times Best-Sellers such as "How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You"and "The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances."He enjoys running marathons, writing comics, and eating cake.

You can read more of Matthew's comics here.

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Health

Sweeping UN study finds that 9 out of 10 people worldwide are biased against women

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways.

Photo by Joe Gardner on Unsplash

As the U.S. ramps into an all-too-familiar presidential election cycle where the only viable candidates left on the ballot are men, the UN announces a study that may—at least partially—explain why.

The Gender Social Norms Index released yesterday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers a look at gender equality as measured by people's personal gender bias. The data, which was collected from 75 countries covering 81% of the world's population, found that 91% of men and 86% of women show at least one clear bias against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, and physical integrity.

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways. Splendid.

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