upworthy
Family

Mom who saved pet goose from eagle while breastfeeding is a mascot for moms everywhere

"Just a day in the life."

breastfeeding mom saves goose, pet goose, tiktok

Hold on, Frankie! Mama's coming!

How do you explain motherhood in a nutshell? Thanks to Cait Oakley, who stopped a preying bald eagle from capturing her pet goose as she breastfed her daughter, we have it summed up in one gloriously hilarious TikTok. The now viral video shows the family’s pet goose, Frankie, frantically squawking as it gets dragged off the porch by a bald eagle—likely another mom taking care of her own kiddos.

Wearing nothing but her husband’s boxers while holding on to her newborn, Willow, Oakley dashes out of the house and successfully comes to Frankie's rescue while yelling “hey, hey hey!” The video’s caption revealed that the Oakleys had already lost three chickens due to hungry birds of prey, so nothing was going to stop “Mama bear” from protecting “sweet Frankie.” Not even a breastfeeding session.

Oakley told TODAY Parents, “It was just a split second reaction ...There was nowhere to put Willow down at that point.” Sometimes being a mom means feeding your child and saving your pet all at the same time.

As for how she feels about running around topless in her underwear on camera, Oakley declared, “I could have been naked and I’m like, ‘whatever, I’m feeding my baby.’”

Needless to say, people were impressed with Oakley’s fierce multitasking abilities.

“Tell me you're a super mom without telling me you're a super mom,” wrote one person.

Another added, “this was 100% the most badass, amazing, award deserving feat I have ever seen.”

To no one’s surprise, moms were finding the situation ultra relatable.

“I wish I could say I hadn’t run out mid breastfeed to save a chicken lol but that would be a lie,” one mom commented.

“My husband sent [this] to me and said hey look it’s you,” wrote another.

And perhaps the best comment of all:

“Girl I thought that was a water gun. Read the caption and realized it was a baby.”

Though she clearly wowed the internet, Oakley sees the entire fiasco as a mundane reality.

"It feels like an accomplishment, I suppose,'' she told TODAY, “but for me this was a day in the life."

breastfeeding mom saves goose

And the winner for "Most Tasks Done In A Single Minute" goes to...

Giphy

Not every mom has to save a pet goose from an eagle attack and breastfeed at the same time, but most mothers can relate to the almost comical, certainly never-ending juggling act that is parenting.


This article originally appeared two years ago.

Unsplash

I've always really liked cliches, idioms, proverbs, and common phrases that we like to use over and over. They can get repetitive at times, but they're crucial tools in communication. They allow us to convey so much meaning in so few words — a commonly understood shorthand that can get complex points across quickly.

The only problem is that many of the most popular idioms in common use date back hundreds of years. In that time, they've either become outdated, or seen their words adopt new meanings. In some cases the idioms have been shortened or reversed, losing important context. So when someone tells you to "bite the bullet," you may inherently know what they mean — but if you really stop and think about it, you have no idea why it means what it means.

If you're a word nerd like me, you'll be absolutely fascinated by the origin and evolution of some of these common idioms, and how they came to mean what they mean today.

1. Sick as a dog / Working like a dog

dog typing on laptopGiphy

Ever have a cold and tell someone you're "sicker than a dog?" Kind of rude to dogs, in my opinion, and a little strange. I've had dogs my whole life and can't remember any of them coming down with the flu.

Sick as a dog actually originates hundreds of years ago, if not longer. Some explanations say that in the 1700s, stray dogs were responsible for the spread of many diseases, along with rats and other gutter critters. There are also references as far back as the Bible to dogs eating their own vomit — sounds pretty sick to me.

What about working like a dog? Dogs are the laziest creatures around! For this one you have to remember that dogs as "pleasure pets" is a relatively recent phenomenon, and before that they had to earn their keep by working tirelessly on the farm to herd and protect the animals.

2. Sweating like a pig

This is an extremely common idiom that we all use and accept. There's just one problem with it. Pigs don't sweat!

So... what gives? You might be surprised to hear that 'sweating like a pig' actually has nothing to do with farm animals.

According to McGill University: "The term is actually derived from the iron smelting process in which hot iron poured on sand cools and solidifies with the pieces resembling a sow and piglets. Hence 'pig iron'. As the iron cools, the surrounding air reaches its dew point, and beads of moisture form on the surface of the 'pigs'. 'Sweating like a pig' indicates that the "pig" (ie iron) has cooled enough to be safely handled. And that's a "pig" you wouldn't want to eat."

3. Bite the bullet

Biting the bullet refers to sucking it up and doing something hard, something you don't want to do but is necessary, and accepting the difficult consequences and/or pain that comes with it. But what does that have to do with biting a bullet?

There are different theories on this. One common explanation is that in the olden days it was common for soldiers on the battlefield receiving surgery to bite down on a lead bullet. You've probably seen people in moving biting down on a piece of wood or leather strap. Since lead is a softer metal, it would give just a little bit between their teeth and not damage them. So the idiom 'biting the bullet' means, okay, this is going to suck, just bite down and get through it.

4. Healthy as a horse

This one has always confused me. As a layman, it seems like horses are prone to injury and have trouble recovering when they hurt themselves. More research shows that horses can not vomit, which means they are highly at risk for deadly colic episodes. Doesn't sound super healthy!

The best explanation I can find for healthy as a horse is that, again, in the olden days, horses were symbols of health and strength and vitality. Which checks out — they're really powerful, majestic creatures.

5. Slept like a baby

To many parents, this common idiom is rage-inducing. If babies sleep so well, why am I so exhausted all the time?!

Yes, babies are notorious for waking up every few hours or at the first sign of hunger or a dirty diaper. It puts their parents through the wringer (another strange idiom!). But to the outside observer, a sleeping baby is pure bliss. They are so innocent and blissfully unaware of anything going on around them — after all, if they're not sitting in a dirty diaper they really don't have too many other things to worry about. Also, despite all their shenanigans, babies do sleep a lot — around 17 hours a day or so. When you put it that way, the idiom starts to make a little sense.

6. Happy as a clam

Clams are a lot of things. Some people find them delicious, others disgusting. One thing I think we can all agree on is that clams don't seem particularly happy, which makes this idiom a bit of a conundrum.

The truth is that this phrase is actually derived from the full version: "Happy as a clam at high water."

At low water, or low tide, clams are exposed to predators. At high tide, they're safe in deeper water. That's about as happy as mollusk can get!

7. The proof is in the pudding

Hey, we all love pudding. But what the heck does this mean? If you're not familiar, it refers to judging something based on the results it generates — but what that has to do with pudding is a bit of a mystery to most people.

This is another example of a shortened idiom that makes more sense when you read the full, original line: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

According to Dictionary.com it "originated as a reference to the fact that it was difficult to judge if the pudding was properly cooked until it was actually being eaten. In other words, the test of whether it’s done is taking a bite."

8. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

smiling horseGiphy

I've always been a big fan of this idiom, which basically means that it's rude to over-analyze or criticize something you got for free, especially when it was a nice gesture from a friend or loved one.

But here we go with horses again! This phrase likely originated from the fact that you can determine a horse's age and health by looking at its teeth. So if someone were to give you a horse as a gift, it would be rude to immediately try to see how "good" it was by looking in its mouth.

9. Clean as a whistle

Whistles are objectively disgusting. They collect spit and germs every time they're used. I certainly wouldn't hold them up as a beacon of cleanliness.

So what gives with this idiom? There are several possible explanations that have been proposed.

First, a whistle won't work, or won't work very well, if it has debris blocking up its inside. So you can think of "clean" in this case as being "empty or free of clutter." Another possibility is that, in this idiom, clean refers to sharpness — as in the sharp sound a whistle makes — and that inference has been lost over time.

10. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps

This phrase is commonly use to describe someone who was "self-made" and built themselves up into a success from nothing. Imagine lying on the floor and hoisting yourself to your feet using only the straps on your boots.

The only problem is... that's impossible! And that's exactly the point. This idiom is actually meant to be sarcastic and to imply that "socioeconomic advancement... was an impossible accomplishment," according to Useless Etymology.

11. Have your cake and eat it too

cartoon cake sliceGiphy

Why bother having a cake if you can't eat it? That's the mystery of this extremely common idiom or proverb (sometimes worded "you can't have your cake and eat it, too")

The explanation is actually really simple. "Have" in this case really means "keep" or "hold onto." So, in that case, it makes perfect sense that you can't eat your cake and also still have it. "You can't have it both ways," would be another way of saying it.

12. Head over heels

Very rarely do people describe being deeply in love without using this phrase. But it's a confusing one, because isn't your head always over your heels? That doesn't seem to be an extraordinary state of being.

The idiom here has actually been flipped over time for unknown reasons. Originally, it went "heels over head", implying upside down. Some say it may also reference certain sexual positions...

13. Pushing the envelope

When I think of radical, risky, or pushing the limits of what's possible, sliding an envelope across a table just somehow doesn't quite capture it for me. But an envelope doesn't have to be just a paper container that you put other paper in. It can actually refer to different parts and practices of an aircraft.

"Push the envelope comes from aeronautics, where it refers to a set of performance limits that may not be safely exceeded," according to Merriam Webster. Now that's more like it!

Culture

People share the moment they started believing in ghosts

For some, the question isn't "Do you believe in ghosts?" It's "When did you start believing?"

Believe it or not, these Redditors might have encountered ghosts.

It used to feel like a black-and-white issue: you either believed in the paranormal, or you didn’t. But nowadays, since people can share their stories more readily, more people are opening their minds to the possibility of aliens, magic, and yes, ghosts. And once they cross that threshold, it’s hard to turn back.

According to a 2022 study by YouGov, a market research firm based in the UK, two-thirds of Americans alone believe in some kind of paranormal activity, while over 40 percent specifically believe in ghosts. In 2021, People Magazine cited a small study (commissioned by Phantom Wine and conducted by OnePoll) which claims 57 percent of Americans believe in spirits. While that's not quite everyone, it’s certainly not as rare as it used to be to admit that.

On the Paranormal subreddit, one user asked, "What is THE moment that made you a true believer in ghosts?" The amount of upvotes and responses, which came from people all over the world, was extraordinary. And although each story is more bone-chilling than the next, the community comes together to validate and comfort one another. Here are a few of the best stories from the thread.


You Okay, Dear?

gif of old woman with cane against yellow background Old Lady Sf GIF by Strange Fellows BrewingGiphy

A Redditor shares that "they never believed in the paranormal" until they briefly moved into a house built in 1845 as part of an exchange program in South England.

"The second week, someone frequently knocked on my door. Every time I looked outside, there was no one. I even asked my roommate from across the hall if she knocked. No, she didn’t. I walked down to the kitchen to ask my guest parents if they knocked. No, they didn’t. I asked their kids, three sons if they knocked. No, they didn’t. That made me really suspicious, but I was like, well, old house, noise from the floorboards and stuff."

But things got weirder. "One night, I had to go to the bathroom, walked down the hallway, and heard a clear 'you okay, dear?' I turned around to look for my guest mom. The hallway was empty. THAT freaked me out. The next morning, I talked to my guest mom, and she said it was Grandma Rosie, who had died in the house and who loved to keep watch over the children and the guest children. She had a habit of knocking on the door, coming in, checking on you, asking if you're okay, and then leaving."


The Man at the Foot of the Stairs

man falls down stairsmad men stairs GIFGiphy

One commenter shares, "When I was a kid, I used to stay after school sometimes with an elderly neighbor lady who was a widow. The very first time I entered her house, I glanced up and saw a man standing at the top of the stairs, looking right down at me. It scared the CRAP out of me, and every time I came in, I would keep my eyes on the floor and hurry through the foyer as fast as I could go. But I could always FEEL him there, even if I managed not to see him."

They claimed they kept this information to themselves for years. But finally, "Years later, I was talking to my family about these neighbors. It came out that our neighbor's husband had died several years before I began staying with her, and he had passed after suffering a fatal heart attack and falling down those stairs. I like to think he was still there, keeping watch over his wife, who for a while had a young companion to keep her company in the afternoons."


The One Who Made Us Move Out

silhouette of man standing inside structureSome ghosts aren't so friendly. Photo by Rene Böhmer on Unsplash

Nothing like a ghost shaking your mattress. This user shares, "I became a true believer in 2017. I was working an early first shift at the time, and my husband was working second shift. We lived alone in our townhouse, which always had a weird vibe, like you were being watched, and I would sometimes hear someone calling my name. But we just shrugged it off. One night, I was lying in bed, trying to sleep, when I felt the mattress moving, like someone was trying to bounce me on it. I opened my eyes and saw a shadow on the wall, so I assumed it was my husband and asked him to stop. He didn’t, so I rolled over to where he should have been standing and no one was there. It was like an hour before he got off work. We moved out of that place not too long after."


The Orb Who Liked TV

gif of Carol Anne placing her hands on the static TV screen from PoltergeistTobe Hooper Poltergeist GIFGiphy

A woman shares that she and her husband "were watching TV at 10 in the morning when a 5-inch orb began flickering down through the ceiling, just a few inches from me, and then flew out the wall. We looked at each other and said, 'Well, that just happened.'"

Did any of these stories convince you? I'm starting to wonder myself!

Mel Robinson making a TED Talk.

Towards the end of The Beatles’ illustrious but brief career, Paul McCartney wrote “Let it Be,” a song about finding peace by letting events take their natural course. It was a sentiment that seemed to mirror the feeling of resignation the band had with its imminent demise.

The bittersweet song has had an appeal that has lasted generations and that may be because it reflects an essential psychological concept: the locus of control. “It’s about understanding where our influence ends and accepting that some things are beyond our control,” Jennifer Chappell Marsh, a marriage and family therapist, told The Huffington Post. “We can’t control others, so instead, we should focus on our own actions and responses.”

This idea of giving up control, or the illusion of it, when it does us no good, was perfectly distilled into 2 words that everyone can understand as the “Let Them” theory. Podcast host, author, motivational speaker and former lawyer Mel Robbins explained this theory perfectly in a vial Instagram video.

“I just heard about this thing called the ‘Let Them Theory,’ I freaking love this,” Robbins starts the video.

“If your friends are not inviting you out to brunch this weekend, let them. If the person that you're really attracted to is not interested in a commitment, let them. If your kids do not want to get up and go to that thing with you this week, let them.” Robbins says in the clip. “So much time and energy is wasted on forcing other people to match our expectations.”

“If they’re not showing up how you want them to show up, do not try to force them to change; let them be themselves because they are revealing who they are to you. Just let them – and then you get to choose what you do next,” she continued.

The phrase is a great one to keep in your mental health tool kit because it’s a reminder that, for the most part, we can’t control other people. And if we can, is it worth wasting the emotional energy? Especially when we can allow people to behave as they wish and then we can react to them however we choose.

@melrobbins

Stop wasting energy on trying to get other people to meet YOUR expectations. Instead, try using the “Let Them Theory.” 💥 Listen now on the #melrobbinspodcast!! “The “Let Them Theory”: A Life Changing Mindset Hack That 15 Million People Can’t Stop Talking About” 🔗 in bio #melrobbins #letthemtheory #letgo #lettinggo #podcast #podcastepisode

How you respond to their behavior can significantly impact how they treat you in the future.

It’s also incredibly freeing to relieve yourself of the responsibility of changing people or feeling responsible for their actions. As the old Polish proverb goes, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

“Yes! It’s much like a concept propelled by the book ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k.’ Save your energy and set your boundaries accordingly. It’s realizing that we only have “control” over ourselves and it’s so freeing,” 60DaysToLive2012 wrote.

“Let It Be” brought Paul McCartney solace as he dealt with losing his band in a very public breakup. The same state of mind can help all of us, whether it’s dealing with parents living in the past, friends who change and you don’t feel like you know them anymore, or someone who cuts you off in traffic because they’re in a huge rush to go who knows where.

The moment someone gets on your nerves and you feel a jolt of anxiety run up your back, take a big breath and say, “Let them.”


This article originally appeared last year.

Joy

Barbershop pays kids $3 to read books out loud while they get their haircut

It's all about boosting kids' confidence, says City Cuts founder Jon Escueta.

Courtesy of City Cuts/Instagram

Kids at City Cuts read to their barbers out loud.

Jon Escueta was coaching youth basketball—teams of 5th to 8th graders—when he noticed that a lot of the kids struggled to talk to one another. "My players were afraid to communicate with each other and speak publicly during practice and in games," he tells Upworthy. So, he prioritized helping the kids build those speaking skills one by one during huddles and active practice.

Seeing those kids blossom, Escueta thought, "How can I implement this in my barbershop?"

Escueta is a licensed barber who owns City Cuts, a barbershop in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, that's all about "Giving back. Doing the right thing. Creating a community. Caring about each other." Wanting to help the kids who come into the barbershop build confidence in themselves beyond just getting a good haircut, Escueta started the Books by Kids initiative.

The concept is simple: While kids are getting their haircut, they read a book out loud to their hairdresser—and they get $3 as an incentive to do so. Here's what it looks like in action:

Escueta says it's all about boosting their confidence in speaking to strangers.

"Kids can start as young as pointing at picture books of certain cartoon characters, colors, animals or whatever they would like to look at," he tells Upworthy. "Even just a few words or sentences—it’s the effort of trying and eventually will turn into chapters and louder voices."

It's a brilliant tactic, as having a book in hand removes some of the pressure kids can feel in new social situations and gives them something specific to talk about. Barbers can ask them questions about their books, and reading out loud also helps kids practice speaking loudly and clearly.

In 2019, Escueta shared with CNN that he struggled with socializing when he came to the U.S. at age 8 from the Philippines. “I didn’t know English and that was a lot,” he said. “I felt like I was being judged.” So the kids who come into his barbershop feeling hesitant to talk have a special place in his heart.

“The ones who are timid—I gravitate toward those kids.” he said. “I know what it feels like and try to make them feel good about themselves.”

According to Escueta, approximately 75% of adults experience a phobia or anxiety related to public speaking, and the objective of Books by Kids is to increase kids' self-assurance through reading aloud.

People love the idea of combining reading with a trip to the barbershop:

"Goes to show that no matter what your job is , you can make a difference for others."

"This is amazing! This is how you change the world."

"Absolutely wonderful…such positive results and a 'win' for both!"

"I love that his barber is correcting his pronunciation and keeping an eye on the book while he cuts."

"This is such a fantastic initiative! It's wonderful to see a business not only providing a service but investing in the community and fostering a love of reading in young people. What a creative way to build confidence and encourage literacy!"

Parents who bring their kids to City Cuts appreciate it, too. One parent wrote in a comment that their child had "become more confident reading in front of people…..which has led to him being more confident in front of groups of people. You guys do something pretty amazing with these kids and it doesn’t go unnoticed."

Another parent told CNN that she would drive 20 minutes to take her son to get his hair cut there because the kind barbers and the reading program have helped him build trust and become more comfortable.

It truly is a win-win when a business has happy customers who return again and again because they're getting a little something extra, and in this case that something extra is truly an extraordinary gift for kids and parents like.

You can follow City Cuts on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Health

Teenager creates eye-opening videos that shatter stereotypes surrounding autism and girls

"I get that a lot, that because I'm good-looking, nothing can be wrong with me — so I want to show that mental illness is diverse."

via paigelayle / Instagram

Paige Layle shares the harmful stereotypes about appearance and illness.

A 2020 study revealed that about 1 in 36 children were identified to have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to estimates from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Of those affected, boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is marked by communication and social difficulties, sensory processing issues, and inflexible patterns of behavior. Almost everything that researchers have learned about the disorder is based on data derived from studies of boys.

However, researchers are starting to learn that ASD manifests differently in girls. This has led many girls to be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

"The model that we have for a classic autism diagnosis has really turned out to be a male model," Susan F. Epstein, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist said to Child Mind Institute. "That's not to say that girls don't ever fit it, but girls tend to have a quieter presentation, with not necessarily as much of the repetitive and restricted behavior, or it shows up in a different way," Epstein added.

Stereotypical ASD behaviors may also get in the way of recognizing the disorder in girls.

"So where the boys are looking at train schedules, girls might have excessive interest in horses or unicorns, which is not unexpected for girls," Dr. Epstein notes. "But the level of the interest might be missed and the level of oddity can be a little more damped down. It's not quite as obvious to an untrained eye." In other words, girls with ASD usually have their symptoms go unnoticed, so they suffer in silence.

In 2020, Paige Layle, then a19-year-old eyelash technician from Ontario, Canada, shared that she has autism. However, because she's a social butterfly, most people don't realize she has the disorder. "I get that a lot, that because I'm good-looking, nothing can be wrong with me — so I want to show that mental illness is diverse," Layle told BuzzFeed.

To help people better understand how autism manifests in girls and women, Layle has made a series of videos on her TikTok page.

"I decided to start making videos because of an audio that was going all over TikTok that was making fun of autistic people. I hated it. I feel like many people don't understand how many people are autistic," she said.

Layle's videos are eye-opening because they shatter some big myths about autism and show how difficult it can be to live with the disorder, especially if you don't know you have it.

@paigelayle learn more about autism! :) i get many questions every day to make more vids about it, i will continue to show you guys! #feature #fup #fyp #featureme ♬ original sound - paigelayle

In the first video, she explains how the initial research done on autism was only on boys or men.

"Girls usually end up showing different traits than guys do. Which is why it can take us years to get diagnosed. I was 15 when I got diagnosed and that's considered early for a girl."

She also explains that girls often are diagnosed later because they are better at hiding autistic behaviors.

"This is something we call masking. Masking is basically just being like a really good actor.

It's where you take traits that everyone else is showing and start portraying them as yourself. It's like a lot of copying going on. ... In your mind you don't think you're copying. You think that this is normal and everyone feels the same way you do.

You basically feel like an alien and you're really good at hiding that. Which is why I don't seem autistic."

In part two, she discusses the idea of being high-functioning.

@paigelayle no such thing as high/ low functioning autism!!! it’s just how YOU perceive us. not about how we’re affected. #feature #featureme #fup #fyp ♬ original sound - paigelayle

"Get high-functioning and low functioning out of your vocabulary. It doesn't help anybody. I know you may think that saying 'Oh like you're high-functioning' is compliment. It's not a compliment. It's also like a reminder that I'm just masking, and it's so hard.

Masking is the most exhausting thing in the world... 'High-functioning' is basically a label that you can use to be like 'Your autism doesn't affect me that much.' But I'll tell you that everyone you think is high-functioning is greatly affected by their autism."

In part three, Paige discusses common autistic traits that girls have.

@paigelayle more on special interests later ☺️ #feature #autism #fyp #fyp #featureme ♬ original sound - paigelayle

"I am overly social. I give way too much eye contact. I'm really good in social situations. It's also very common for girls with autism to have other mental disabilities or mental disorders as well. I have seven and one of the main ones is OCD.

All of these mental illnesses stem from having autism. But OCD, anxiety, and depression are very common, especially in girls. Just the feeling that the world needs rules for you to understand it. That's why a lot of autism special interests include things like anatomy, the human body, psychology, just figuring out how the world works is our way to figure out how to live in it."

In part four, Paige further discusses the topic of masking.

@paigelayle ahhh masking. can’t live with you, can’t live without you. #feature #fup #fyp #featureme #autism ♬ original sound - paigelayle

"When you're in the autistic closet and you are not known to be autistic yet ... you like subconsciously know that you're weird and you don't know how to act or how to be.

It's like the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you wear your hair, like your mannerisms. Like everything you say. Everything you think. Everything you think that you enjoy. It's all what you are accustomed to from your peers.

I've been diagnosed for four years and I'm still trying to figure out who I am and what I actually like to do. You just get to used to creating this mask that when it's like 'Hey, you can take it off,' It's like what the frick is underneath it? I don't know what's going on."

In 2024, Layle released her first book, But Everyone Feels This Way, with Hatchett Book Group that can be accessed as a hard copy, e-book, and audiobook. She also offers neurodivergent peer consulting, merch, and more via her Linktr.ee.

This story originally appeared five years ago.