Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.
Since we're entering cold and flu season while also (still) trying to fend off COVID-19, we could all use some tips for boosting our immune system. We probably all know the standards—eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising—but did you know that joy can also give your immune system a kick?
According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can release neuropeptides that can help prevent illness from becoming more serious and help fight stress that can weaken your immune system. A 2003 study found that people with more positive emotional states were less likely to develop a common cold, a 2015 study found that laugh therapy helped boost the immune response in women who had just given birth and multiple other studies have come to similar conclusions.
According to ENT-otolaryngologist Dr. Murray Grossan, even a simple smile can offer immunity benefits. “What’s crazy is that just the physical act of smiling can make a difference in building your immunity,” Dr. Grossan told NBC News. “When you smile, the brain sees the muscle [activity] and assumes that humor is happening.”
So consider this list a weekly dose of emotional inoculation. Can't guarantee it'll keep you from catching anything, but it certainly isn't gonna hurt ya!
Enjoy!Swan couple engaging in a graceful courtship dance is just mesmerizing.\u201cDancing swans.. \ud83e\udda2\n\nSound on\u201d — Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden) 1663354394 So beautiful. Mute swans are one of the few bird species that mate for life. (And whoever played the "Swan Lake" theme over this was brilliant.) Kiddo getting woken by a new puppy surprise is the stuff core memories are made of.See on Instagram Love how it took him a few seconds to enter his body and see what was happening. Then a hug before anything else. So sweet.Cuddly cat appears to comfort human who is crying.\u201cPlease don\u2019t cry.. \ud83e\udd7a\u201d — Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden) 1663601397 "Hey, hooman. You okay? Let me smoosh my face on you to make you feel better." Dad sings Persian song for baby who blissfully rests on his guitar.See on Instagram Gracious. What a lovely voice, beautiful song and adorable baby. Doggo greets his bestest boy with the bestest hug.\u201cThe most beautiful encounter \u2764\u201d — Tansu YE\u011eEN (@Tansu YE\u011eEN) 1663792467 I'd like to put in a request for this kind of greeting every time I come home, please.Kid meets his baby brother for the first time and makes everyone's eyes all sweaty.@brianaarielle89 #fyp #viral #heartwarming #siblings #brothers #babiesoftiktok Good tears, but phew! I was not ready. Read the full story and see the Part Two video here.This baby girl's "Hi, baby girrrl" is almost too much cuteness to handle.@aliannaandfam Hi mommy! 👋🏽😁 #babygirl #babyfever #babiesoftiktok #beautifulpeople #love #god She's so darn proud of herself. As she should be. Selma Blair, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis four years ago, lit up "Dancing With the Stars."See on Instagram It hasn't been an easy road for Blair, and she was afraid she would lose her balance during the performance, but she wanted to show that people with disabilities can find joy in unexpected ways. Mission accomplished. Read the full story here.Wee one takes his first steps and decides dancing is more important. See on Instagram That shoulder shrug, though. May we all walk through life with such sweetness and swagger!Finally, a little Paul Rudd "September" dance montage to carry you through the weekend. \u201cfor all who celebrate this special day\u201d — Bradford Pearson (@Bradford Pearson) 1663767649 If Paul Rudd being Paul Rudd doesn't make you smile, I'm not sure I can help you. Hope that made your week a whole lot brighter! If you enjoy these posts and want to have them delivered straight to you each week, subscribe to our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.
So beautiful. Mute swans are one of the few bird species that mate for life. (And whoever played the "Swan Lake" theme over this was brilliant.)
Love how it took him a few seconds to enter his body and see what was happening. Then a hug before anything else. So sweet.
"Hey, hooman. You okay? Let me smoosh my face on you to make you feel better."
Gracious. What a lovely voice, beautiful song and adorable baby.
I'd like to put in a request for this kind of greeting every time I come home, please.
#fyp #viral #heartwarming #siblings #brothers #babiesoftiktok
Good tears, but phew! I was not ready. Read the full story and see the Part Two video here.
Hi mommy! 👋🏽😁 #babygirl #babyfever #babiesoftiktok #beautifulpeople #love #god
She's so darn proud of herself. As she should be.
It hasn't been an easy road for Blair, and she was afraid she would lose her balance during the performance, but she wanted to show that people with disabilities can find joy in unexpected ways. Mission accomplished. Read the full story here.
That shoulder shrug, though. May we all walk through life with such sweetness and swagger!
If Paul Rudd being Paul Rudd doesn't make you smile, I'm not sure I can help you.
Hope that made your week a whole lot brighter! If you enjoy these posts and want to have them delivered straight to you each week, subscribe to our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.
Romance doesn't always come easily, does it?
As the saying goes, "You have to kiss a few frogs..."
Dating has certainly evolved over the years—we’ve gone from courtship being purely a financial arrangement (not that this trend has ever truly died) to knights jousting for a lady’s favor, to casual hookups … and now, romance is primarily found through an app more than anything else.
Technology used for meeting that special someone has become so advanced that you can base your search entirely upon specific interests. Like … oddly specific interests. Think a fellow cat person would be the purrfect match? There’s an app for that. Wish to “love long and prosper” with a fellow Trekkie? There’s an app for that too.
No matter the changes, one thing remains the same—dating is awkward. It’s got all the unspoken formalities of a job interview, disguised as innocent fun. The balance between playing it too cool and too eager is hard to find even for the smoothest among us, and usually results in total embarrassment. Even if we aren’t the ones committing those embarrassing acts ourselves, we are often the reluctant witness to them.
Terrible dates might not always be fun in the moment, but they can be just as important as the good ones. They can teach us a lot about ourselves and what qualities we want in a partner. And at the very least, they can teach us to embrace social clumsiness with a sense of humor.
Jimmy Fallon recently asked his “Tonight Show” audience on Twitter to share a “funny or embarrassing first date story” for his ever popular #Hashtags segment. The best part—some of these awful first dates ended in marriage. There’s hope for us all.
Below, find 15 stories that are truly the the best of the worst. How do some of your first dates compare?
1. "After a nice dinner, she invited me to her house. On the way up, inside the elevator, I decided to push the button to stop between floors and give her a kiss... She had a phobia of closed spaces and she smacked my face as a reflex, two punches after we were kissing and laughing.” – @PanqueAlgarvio 2. “His jeans were so tight he couldn’t sit down. Stood at a bar stool the whole time.” – @onlyintheozarks 3. “Waiting 4 my date when an older couple asked me for a ride. my date came up and said sure! We drove them home & they asked us to come in. Date said “sure”. I pulled him back & asked why he wanted to hang w/strangers. He said ‘sh@t! YOU DON'T KNOW THEM!?’ We bolted!” – @natashaham75 Talk about a fashion faux pas.Giphy 4. “Before the date, we had been chatting about books we liked and I talked about a great book I just read. We went on the date. I loaned her the book. She ghosted me.” – @thenextbarstool 5. “The worst first date I ever had was when my date locked his keys in the car and I had a curfew so he had to break his car window out to get me home on time. Didn’t think I’d ever see him again but we wound up married.” – @csleblan 6. “First date movie ‘Basic Instinct’ not realizing how suggestive it was. We just thought it was a mystery thriller! We left the movie discussing how each character could have actually murdered someone. We're married now.” – @Southrnbell_Amy There are worse first date movies tbh.Giphy 7. “First date with my ex husband was a double date with his parents. The preview for ‘Speed Racer’ came on, and she leaned over me to say to her son, ‘You know what your dad's nickname in the bedroom is?’" – @theostoria 8. “A friend asked me on a double date as a blind date with his date's friend. I went to the bathroom and came back just in time to hear my date say to her friend, ‘why do I get the ugly one?’ I said good night to all three and headed home, leaving her w/the bill.” – @StevenTrustum 9. “He loved cheese. I was subjected to a 2 hour conversation/lecture about cheese, and why cottage cheese is not cheese!” – @Optimist_Eeyore I'd like to see this two-hour cheese lecture.Giphy 10. “He took me to an Asian fish market. We walked around looking at live & dead fish for a while. I don’t like seeing dead animals & I don’t eat seafood. Then we sat on a curb & he pulled out a ziplock bag of pineapple for us to share. I don’t like pineapple.” – @markayhali 11. “My cousin set up a first date for me with a family friend. During a break from dinner, Mr. Man follows me into the ladies’ room, comes up close and says in a low voice, ‘I shave my butt.’ Can’t remember what I said in response but the evening ended abruptly.” – @carli_zarzana 12. “I once took out my high school crush to a sports bar and ordered the spiciest wings there in an attempt to impress her. Not only was she not impressed. The next morning I woke up with heartburn.” –@Dmonster38 Talk about a hot date. GIF 13. “My date showed up with his bestie and girlfriend, and they talked through dinner about people I don’t know. Walking to the car, he gave me a wedgie because he thought he hadn’t been paying enough attention to me.” – @surrealDazey 14. “I was taking my date home and was pulled over by the police for speeding. When the cop came to my car, she jumped out and told him she had to get home. She walked home and I never heard from her again. I'm not sure who's #WorstFirstDate it was mine or hers!” – @eastriverbear 15. “After an evening of dancing with a first date, leaving the dance hall, I had to take a quick pee break. Rushing out to the parking lot, I see a lady, I grab her and swoop her around, and plant a big wet kiss on the lips. She was another guy's wife. Oops!” – @seadogskamore Only Gomez could have gotten away with it. Giphy
1. "After a nice dinner, she invited me to her house. On the way up, inside the elevator, I decided to push the button to stop between floors and give her a kiss... She had a phobia of closed spaces and she smacked my face as a reflex, two punches after we were kissing and laughing.” – @PanqueAlgarvio
2. “His jeans were so tight he couldn’t sit down. Stood at a bar stool the whole time.” – @onlyintheozarks
3. “Waiting 4 my date when an older couple asked me for a ride. my date came up and said sure! We drove them home & they asked us to come in. Date said “sure”. I pulled him back & asked why he wanted to hang w/strangers. He said ‘sh@t! YOU DON'T KNOW THEM!?’ We bolted!” – @natashaham75
Talk about a fashion faux pas.
4. “Before the date, we had been chatting about books we liked and I talked about a great book I just read. We went on the date. I loaned her the book. She ghosted me.” – @thenextbarstool
5. “The worst first date I ever had was when my date locked his keys in the car and I had a curfew so he had to break his car window out to get me home on time. Didn’t think I’d ever see him again but we wound up married.” – @csleblan
6. “First date movie ‘Basic Instinct’ not realizing how suggestive it was. We just thought it was a mystery thriller! We left the movie discussing how each character could have actually murdered someone. We're married now.” – @Southrnbell_Amy
There are worse first date movies tbh.
7. “First date with my ex husband was a double date with his parents. The preview for ‘Speed Racer’ came on, and she leaned over me to say to her son, ‘You know what your dad's nickname in the bedroom is?’" – @theostoria
8. “A friend asked me on a double date as a blind date with his date's friend. I went to the bathroom and came back just in time to hear my date say to her friend, ‘why do I get the ugly one?’ I said good night to all three and headed home, leaving her w/the bill.” – @StevenTrustum
9. “He loved cheese. I was subjected to a 2 hour conversation/lecture about cheese, and why cottage cheese is not cheese!” – @Optimist_Eeyore
I'd like to see this two-hour cheese lecture.
10. “He took me to an Asian fish market. We walked around looking at live & dead fish for a while. I don’t like seeing dead animals & I don’t eat seafood. Then we sat on a curb & he pulled out a ziplock bag of pineapple for us to share. I don’t like pineapple.” – @markayhali
11. “My cousin set up a first date for me with a family friend. During a break from dinner, Mr. Man follows me into the ladies’ room, comes up close and says in a low voice, ‘I shave my butt.’ Can’t remember what I said in response but the evening ended abruptly.” – @carli_zarzana
12. “I once took out my high school crush to a sports bar and ordered the spiciest wings there in an attempt to impress her. Not only was she not impressed. The next morning I woke up with heartburn.” –@Dmonster38
Talk about a hot date.
13. “My date showed up with his bestie and girlfriend, and they talked through dinner about people I don’t know. Walking to the car, he gave me a wedgie because he thought he hadn’t been paying enough attention to me.” – @surrealDazey
14. “I was taking my date home and was pulled over by the police for speeding. When the cop came to my car, she jumped out and told him she had to get home. She walked home and I never heard from her again. I'm not sure who's #WorstFirstDate it was mine or hers!” – @eastriverbear
15. “After an evening of dancing with a first date, leaving the dance hall, I had to take a quick pee break. Rushing out to the parking lot, I see a lady, I grab her and swoop her around, and plant a big wet kiss on the lips. She was another guy's wife. Oops!” – @seadogskamore
Only Gomez could have gotten away with it.
Sometimes the best way to fight hate is with kindness coupled with a little bit of petty.
Lil Nas X gives protesters pizza.
Lil Naz X really is a gift to this world, but that obviously depends on who you ask because for some people his existence seems to chafe some uncomfortable places. Recently people decided they just couldn't allow the singer to live his best life without him knowing that they did not approve, so they protested outside of his concert. Lil Nas X could've been pretty upset about the protest and let it ruin his show but he did the complete opposite. The "Old Town Road" singer decided to respond with an unexpected gesture of kindness by ordering the group pizza.
Depending on the topping, the gesture could've been seen as hostile. Did it have pineapples or anchovies? Those toppings are so controversial, pizzas could've been launched back into the venue out of sheer spite. Alas, there was no launching of pizzas or even eating of pizzas as the protesters declined the offer and sent them back with his team. Interestingly enough, the singer didn't even know the protesters were there until his fans repeatedly tagged him on Twitter with videos of the protest. But who protests outside of a concert venue when you can enjoy the free parking lot music?
No, it's not the people from "Footloose," but that was a valid guess. It was actually a group of people who just don't like that the singer is gay, even if his music makes you involuntarily move your booty. The protesters were holding up signs that contained biblical wording like "repent and believe." This isn't the first time Lil Nas X has run into vocal naysayers, and he usually responds with a cheeky clap back.
The rapper partnered with MSCHF to make Satan Shoes and gave the red man downstairs a lap dance in his music video for "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" because people supposedly told him to go to hell. If there were ever a petty contest, Lil Nas X would be crowned Petty King, so the change-up seemed a bit surprising. Instead of clapping back, he sent food, which probably confused the protesters more than anything else.
No worries though, if you live for the pettiness level that the singer consistently delivers, he took a trip back to Pettyville when the group returned his pizzas. The unapologetic singer wrote in a tweet "update: they didn't want the pizza but I accidentally fell in love with one of the homophobic protesters." I'm sure that tweet is keeping this particular protester up at night thinking the star is interested in him romantically, and just to solidify it, Lil Nas X tweeted the next day lamenting about the love that got away.
I must admit, I'm fully invested in this faux romance. Will they ever cross paths again? Will they fall in love during conversations over pizza? I guess the world will never know. But what we do know is, Lil Nas X is just trying to make music he enjoys and love whoever he wants and that shouldn't be controversial.
"Can you move to the birthing ball so I can sleep in the bed?"
After working six years as a labor and delivery nurse Holly, 30, has heard a lot of inappropriate remarks made by men while their partners are in labor. “Sometimes the moms think it’s funny—and if they think it’s funny, then I’ll laugh with them,” Holly told TODAY Parents. “But if they get upset, I’ll try to be the buffer. I’ll change the subject.”
Some of the comments are so wrong that she did something creative with them by turning them into “inspirational” quotes and setting them to “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton on TikTok.
“Some partners are hard to live up to!” she jokingly captioned the video.
Part 1: Some partners are hard to live up to! Get you a good one #laboranddelivery #labor
The first video featured the following facepalm-inducing quotes:
“I think you should just get a C-section. This is taking too long.”
“How long is this gonna take? I have plans this weekend.”
“Are you sure you want an epidural? My mom didn’t have one. Before you make a decision, we should talk about it.”
“Sew an extra stitch down there for me, doc. We want everything just the way it was before all of this.”
It’s unbelievable that anyone would make such selfish comments while their partner is in the throes of giving birth. Anyone who would ask, “How long is this gonna take?” definitely isn’t prepared to raise a child.
Some TikTok users thought that these women should have left their partners right there in the delivery room.
"LOL immediate divorce, I'm not joking," Rig wrote. Little_n_often agreed saying, "I’d be getting the divorce papers ready."
“I would sign the divorce papers while in labor and pushing,” another commenter wrote.
The video was a massive hit on TikTok, receiving over 10 million views. So, the nurse followed it up with a sequel where she shared more “inspirational” delivery room quotes from men.
Part 2: some partners are hard to live up to! Get you a good one! #laboranddelivery #babydaddy #labor
Wake me up when the baby gets here I'm tired." (Rolls over, puts cover over head and slept thru the birth of his baby.)
"Can you move to the birthing ball so I can sleep in the bed?"
(As the patient is pushing) "Do you guys do DNA tests here? My mom wants me to get one before we leave."
"Call me when you're about to have the baby. I'm gonna go with [name redacted] to the bar and watch the game."
Holly also told TODAY Parents that men should also keep their thoughts on pain medication to themselves and to stop looking at the contraction monitor and making comments.
“She can feel it!” Holly said. “You don’t need to ask her if she felt it. Trust me, she did.”
Holly’s public airing of men’s bad behavior had to be therapeutic, because, as a nurse, she can’t tell them off in the delivery room. But it's also a warning to men out there on how not to behave when their partners are giving birth. If there was ever a time in the world to stop thinking about yourself, it’s while your partner is giving birth.
Remember guys, think before you say anything in the delivery room, the nurses are listening.