5 things that made us smile this week
Grab your tissues and read some seriously good news.
After a harrowing election season, we could all use an emotional pick-me-up. Thankfully, the internet never fails to deliver. Check out five uplifting stories we’ve found that made us smile this week.
Enjoy—and don't forget to share the love!
1. This toddler's adorable reaction
@vita.paskar This is when things start to get exciting 🥹 when they begin to understand! #fyp #christmas #target #toddler ♬ Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Victoria Paskar’s son Ellis had just been born last December, so when it came to appreciating the magic of the holiday season, it wasn't something he was really able to do. This year, however, that’s changed: In an adorable TikTok video, Paskar caught the moment when Ellis (now a toddler) notices the lit-up trees and holiday decorations. So magical and pure in every way.
2. More meals for seniors in need
Subaru - Share the Love Event and Meals on Wheels
Hunger is a national problem, and one that Subaru is helping to fix. Thanks to the Subaru Share the Love Event, Subaru has delivered more than 4.6 million meals and friendly visits to seniors facing hunger and isolation. Since 2008, Subaru is the largest automotive donor to Meals on Wheels—and they’re just getting started. With every new Subaru sale, Subaru and its retailers donate at least $300 to charities like Meals on Wheels.
3. This five-year-old piano prodigy brings down the house with Mozart
Alberto Cartuccia Cingolani wows audiences with his amazing musical talents.Pianoforte/Facebook
A clip of a five-year-old performing at the 10th International Music Competition in Italy is now going viral, and it’s no surprise why. To little to even reach the pedals with his feet, Alberto Cartuccia Cingolani still wows the audience with a masterful performance of a Mozart piece. According to his mother, Alberto had participated in seven national and international music competitions and won first place in all of them, all by the time he was four and a half. It’s like he’s channeling Amadeus himself.
4. An adopted man reunites with his bio mom and forms a "sweet" connection
Lenore Lindsey and Vamarr HunterABC 7 / YouTube
When 50-year-old Vamarr Hunter decided to take a genealogy test to find his biological mother, he had no idea how close he had already been to finding her. After a genealogy test, Hunter discovered that his mother, Lenore Lindsey, who had given him up for adoption as an infant, was actually the owner of “Give Me Some Sugar” in South Shore Chicago—Hunter’s favorite bakery. The two experienced an “immediate connection” after meeting, and after Lindsey suffered a stroke, Hunter stepped in to manage the bakery full-time. No, you’re crying.
5. A teacher uses AI to inspire her classroom
Now this is wholesome: An elementary teacher in Turkey named Gülümser Balci used artificial intelligence to create images of her students as their future selves in their dream jobs. Each kid is shocked and delighted to see themselves as adults, living out their dreams.
For more things that'll make you smile, check out all the ways Subaru is sharing the love this holiday season, here.
9 comics that hilariously show our love/hate relationship with the internet.
The internet can be a wonderful, joy-filled, treasure trove of amazement.
But it can also be a dirge of sadness, anxiety, and general ennui.
In these hilarious comics, Sara Zimmerman of Unearthed Comics gives some insight into the pains, joys, and anxiety that we’ve all experienced online.
Science fiction writer William Gibson wrote in a prescient story for the New York Times way back in 1996: “As new technologies search out and lace over every interstice in the net of global communication, we find ourselves with increasingly less excuse for ... slack."
We share ourselves online in the hopes of being liked, but we are all terrified of being judged and being disliked, and it's hard to cut ourselves and the world some slack.
The internet allows us to connect with friends and family around the globe, watch the latest adorable video of a bulldog riding a skateboard, or ignore the endless pileup of emails in our inboxes.
That's why Zimmerman poignantly uses “The Eye of Sauron” as a metaphor for our anxiety over sharing some photos on Facebook. Because we’ve all had that nagging desire to have power over how many people like our post.
So here are some refreshing comics to give you some perspective on our love/hate relationship with the internet:
1. Love may be one thing we can count on to protect us.
All images by Sara Zimmerman/Unearthed Comics.
2. Being ahead of the game is important.
3. And knowing what works best is a good start.
4. Compassion is key for an enjoyable ride.
5. The simple things don't always turn out the way you plan.
6. It's good to have some perspective.
7. Job descriptions can be flexible.
8. Being productive has different meanings.
9. Time management can get complicated on the web.
These comics are a reminder of how silly the internet really is.
As of June 2016, Facebook reported having over 1.13 billion daily active users. That's a lot of people using just Facebook, let alone the rest of the internet. As technology becomes more ubiquitous around the globe we all grow a little closer but also share in the frustrations that digital communication holds.
So in light of everything the internet offers us, I think we should cut ourselves a little slack when it comes to our relationship with it.