10 things that made us smile this week

[10 things that made us smile this week]( Mother Nature played a silly trick where I live this week, dumping inches of snow, days in a row. And while I'm tempted to say bah humbug to second winter in April (OK, more than tempted—BAH HUMBUG) I know it's a temporary blip. The daffodils and tulips peeking out from under the white will persevere, the snow will melt as it always does and spring will emerge in her full, green glory soon enough. Sometimes the world feels like this. Cold when it should be warm. Snow where there should be flowers. Struggle and suffering when there should be peace and prosperity. Yet we persevere, knowing this too shall pass. We try to look toward the horizon with hope, knowing the light will penetrate the darkness eventually. And while we wait, we work to help ourselves and our human brethren through the unexpected rough patches. Sometimes that means fighting the good fight. Sometimes it means finding joy in simple things. Sometimes it means letting music move us in its mysterious way. Sometimes it means zoning out on goofy cat videos or laughing along with an infectious viral baby giggle. Goodness knows we can all use a little lift in our spirits, and small snippets of beauty and delight can help give us the energy we need to persevere. We've collected 10 of them to get you started as you wrap up your week. [Read the Story]( [French company builds an 'exoskeleton' allowing wheelchair users to walk freely]( A French tech company is rolling out a new device that allows wheelchair-bound people to walk again. It looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie, but the phenomenal benefit it provides is very, very real. The company, Wandercraft, calls it the Atalante X. It acts like an exoskeleton, fitting around both legs and the back of the spine. Twelve motors make up the robot appendages (six at the hips, two at the knees, and four at the ankles), which helps make more natural movement. Each motor receives a signal every millisecond from both a user-controlled remote and a sensor that detects upper body movement. This cutting-edge technology allows, for the first time ever, the freedom of hands-free motion. [Read the Story]( [Nominate someone who is Eco-Friendly to win a $2,500 donation!]( It’s time to celebrate Earth Month! 🌎 We’re partnering with our friends, P&G Good Everyday, to promote green and sustainable initiatives! Do you know someone who recycles, runs a community garden, or teaches others about sustainability? Nominate them at [upworthy.com/itsourhome]( for the chance to win a $2,500 donation toward the environmental nonprofit of their choice. [Nominate Someone Here]( [A four-day work week could be in the near future if California gets its way]( Many Americans hope for the day when the regular work week resembles that many of the other countries, with fewer work days, daily siestas and extensive paid leave packages. Having a nap pod under your desk or taking a six-week holiday is, to Americans, what fairytales are made of. Add in up to three years of paid parental leave, and you’re really entering a realm of perfection that Americans can only dream of. But we could be moving closer to those things than we think. While we're far from having three years off for bringing home a new baby, there are some moves toward redressing the balance between the amount of time spent at work and family (or other activity) time. California recently introduced a bill, AB 2932, that aims to cut the work week from 40 to 32 hours. This reduction in hours would allow employees to have a four-day work week. The bill also outlines how overtime would be applied, where time and a half pay is required after an eight-hour work day, and anything above 12 hours is compensated with double pay. Workers also would not be docked pay if they did not meet the 32-hour minimum for their work week. While the work week would be a day shorter, employees would not be required to work more than an eight-hour shift. The proposed changes would only affect companies that have 500 employees or more. If AB 2932 passes, California would be the first state to change the standard work week, which has been set at 40 hours since 1940. It was Ford Motor Companies that innovated the five-day, 40-hour work week in 1926. Congress was nearly 15 years behind with making it a federal law. [Read the Story]( [Ear rumbling is a special 'superpower' that not everyone has]( There are no two human beings who are exactly alike. One of the funny quirks of evolution is that some of us can do things with our bodies we think are routine, but are impossible for others. Some people can wiggle their ears, others can't. Some can wiggle their nose like Samantha from "Bewitched" while others just look really silly when making an attempt. Not everyone can lick their elbow but most wouldn't attempt to do so in public. A Twitter user named Massimo dropped some knowledge last month about a skill that not everyone has and even fewer discuss: ear rumbling. Those of us who can do it know exactly what it is, while it's a mystery to those who cannot. [Read the Story]( Find us on the World Wide Web: [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Copyright © 2022 GOOD | Upworthy, All rights reserved. 1370 N St Andrews Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028 You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.