It's been an emotional week featuring both highs and lows, but in case you need a reason to smile, we have plenty to share.
This middle school choir teacher rocks!
Middle school choir teacher Taryn Timmer, aka @thatweirdchoirteacher on TikTok, has a creative way of getting and keeping her students' attention.
We particularly applaud her mix of Gen X, millennial and Gen Z pop culture references. Teach the children well, Ms. Timmer!
Don't call it a comeback: "Ted Lasso" returns soon!
"Ted Lasso," the comedy starring Jason Sudeikis that pretty much saved the soul of the nation last year and made us believe in kindness again, will debut its second season on Apple TV+ on July 23!
We love Ted for his irrepressible optimism, his ability to believe in people and, of course, his homemade biscuits.
"In a time that seems so cynical," show co-developer Bill Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly last November, "to have an optimistic and hopeful show might be of huge value."
He was right.
"Mommy's home!" are still magic words ...
Moms, do you need a reminder that you are the whole world to someone after a long week?
Here you go.
... and a hug from a toddler in a penguin costume is the spoonful of sugar we needed
Disney enthusiast Megan, who posts on TikTok under the user name @justmousinaround, often shares videos of her family enjoying the magic of the theme parks and characters.
But this video of her daughter dressed as a tiny Pip the Penguin is getting attention for "the most genuine hugs" her youngest gives Mary Poppins and Bert.
"I am glad I'm wearing sunglasses," a man says from just off camera in the video, which has more than 4.3 million views.
Not all heroes wear capes ...
After a man's car crossed multiple lanes of traffic on a California highway and crashed through a guardrail, plunging to the Pacific Ocean below, an unidentified good Samaritan — and retired Navy medic — pulled the driver to safety and gave him first aid until other first responders could arrive.
Miraculously, the man is going to be OK. His rescuer climbed the hillside and left the scene before he could be identified, according to authorities.
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... and some heroes wear scrubs
With so many sad stories about loved ones lost to COVID-19, TikTok user Megan Witenstein's video of her sister Kristin leaving the hospital after 111 days battling the virus feels like a victory for us all.
The moment she is able to hug her little boy is especially poignant (*sniff*).
Sending best wishes to the whole family and thanks to all her doctors and nurses!
A beloved cook received a special gift from the young men she fed well — decades later
Though it has been 30 years since 74-year-old Jessie Hamilton cooked her famous fried chicken and mashed potatoes for the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta at LSU, those undergrads — now in their 50s — still love and remember her fondly.
When they found out Hamilton was still working two jobs at her age to pay off her mortgage, a group of the Phi Gamma Delta alumni gathered to celebrate the woman who took care of them and gave her a check for $45,000 to take the burden off of her.
Perhaps the way to young men's hearts really is through their stomachs!
... and these students showed their tech-challenged teacher how much they love him
A teenager named Kate who goes by the handle @gallonofwater5 on TikTok posted a video of her classmates surprising their much-loved teacher with the gift of hearing.
After a challenging year teaching at least partly online, the students descended upon the teacher when he was eating lunch, assuring him they were not pranking him, and handed him a gift bag and card.
Citing his issues hearing them while Zooming in class, the students urge their teacher to open the gift. "You're the best," says one. "We love you so much," says another. They cheer as he opens it.
Inside? A pair of AirPods.
"I love all of you," their teacher says, smiling.
"We love you!" his students respond.
"Yeah, so everyone cried," Kate captioned her video.
A grieving dog owner offers a reminder to others
Finally, Huntington, West Virginia, sports anchor Jim Treacy posted pictures on Twitter this week of a memorial he found.
"A nice tribute to a good boy we ran across at Ritter Park tonight," he wrote.
A poster written "In Loving Memory of Chance" featured the picture of a dog and explained the creator had recently lost their sweet dog Chance, who had loved tennis balls. They left a bucket of fresh tennis balls, urging other dog owners to take one home for their own pups or leave them for the next one.
"Don't forget to take a few moments to hug your dog and tell them you love them," the creator wrote.
They also asked for pictures of dogs playing with the tennis balls. Treacy offered a pic of his own dog catching a ball and urged others to take pictures too, using the hashtag #tennisballsfromchance2021.
Have a good weekend, everyone. Hug your dogs and tell someone you love them!
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