10 things that made us smile this week

[10 things that made us smile this week]( I know, y'all. This week has been rough. We've got the omicron thing coming around the corner, schools telling parents that today is apparently School Shooting Day on TikTok (but don't panic, even though we don't really know how to gauge if there's any real risk) and this on top of normal holiday season stress. It's … well, it's a lot. All the more reason we need to look for small joys and reasons to smile today. It's easy to get bogged down in cynicism and negativity, but such things don't serve anyone, and if we're going to make it through these unprecedented times (oh, how I miss precedented times!) we need to maintain some hopeful energy. While these 10 things won't solve the world's problems, they can help you smile, laugh and delight your way through the weekend. [Read the Story]( [Sirga the Lioness was abandoned as a cub. She grew up to be a huge TikTok star.]( Little lioness Sirga was discovered when she was only a few days old. Born in a rehabilitation camp, her mother couldn't defend her cubs and all her siblings were killed by other lions. To make matters worse, Sirga’s mother refused to feed her. But then Sirga found Valentine Gruener, co-founder of the Modisa Wildlife Project. In an interview with NBC News, Gruener revealed he chose the name “Sirga” after a 1993 french film “L’enfant lion.” The name couldn’t have been more perfect. For Sirga was clearly destined to become a star. [Read the story]( In partnership with Macy's [Five-year-old fashionista’s wish to be on a billboard comes true thanks to Macy’s and Make-A-Wish]( Five-year-old Abi has a passion for fashion. Like many creative people her age, the self-described fashionista loves singing, dancing, and dressing up for mother-daughter photoshoots alongside her twin sister. You wouldn’t know it from her bright smile, but just last year Abi received a life-saving bone marrow transplant to treat a painful blood disorder she’s had since birth. “We were told she needed a bone marrow transplant or the alternative was for her to have a stroke at the age of three,” Abi’s mom says. That is scary news no parent wants to hear, but Abi’s mom knew her daughter needed the treatment to survive. Despite the pain, Abi bravely received repeat bone marrow transplants over the course of a year. (Her twin sister Vivi was the generous donor!) After the treatments, the family was connected with Make-A-Wish, a nonprofit that spreads hope and positivity by granting wishes for young people like Abi who are fighting critical illnesses. [Read the story]( [Fellowship of the hip-hop: Watch 'The Lord of the Rings' cast reunite in an epic rap battle]( Like many a fantasy-loving adolescent, I was completely obsessed with "The Lord of the Rings" growing up. It had everything: honorable heroes, compelling storylines and a rich, captivating world full of lore and intrigue. It helped me, and many others, escape to a place where good guys would win and where magic was undeniably real. Every year, my grandmother and I would head out Thursday night to catch a midnight showing … which coincidentally always fell on a testing day at school the following morning. But nothing could stop us from experiencing Peter Jackson’s undaunted, bold and ultimately touching movie trilogy masterpiece. So to see The Fellowship unite together once again on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" … let's just say it filled my nerdy heart to the brim. Along with countless others. [Read the Story]( [As an adult with a less-than-normal childhood, here's what Christmas means to me now]( As Christmas fast approaches (literally eight days away, holy cow) I relish the opportunity to do all those wholesome holiday things. I love filling my cats’ stockings with tuna treats and springy toys. I’m thrilled to top our tree with a sparkling glowy star and sneak away to wrap my boyfriend’s present. And boy, do I look forward to his authentic Puerto Rican coquito. The apartment smells of cinnamon and gingerbread, and it fills me with a comfort that’s both so welcomed and yet so foreign. It hadn’t really dawned on me before, that perhaps why I now wholeheartedly embrace the tradition of Christmas, though I am in no way religious, is because it’s a way to cultivate what I never really had in childhood: a sense of peace. In other words: Christmas provides a sense of normality. And for someone with a less-than-normal childhood, that feeling matters. A lot. [Read the Story]( Find us on the World Wide Web: [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Copyright © 2021 GOOD | Upworthy, All rights reserved. 1370 N St Andrews Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028 You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.