10 things that made us smile this week

[10 things that made us smile this week]( Have you ever pondered what joy actually is? Is it different than happiness, and if so, how? Though the dictionary definitions of the words are quite similar, people like to debate how happiness and joy differ. Some people say happiness is an emotion while joy is a state of mind. Some describe happiness as coming from outside of us while joy comes from within us. Some describe happiness as surface and fleeting while joy is deeper and more lasting. In the documentary "Mission: JOY," iconic spiritual leaders Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama explore the concept of joy. Each of them has endured a great deal of tragedy and struggle in their lives, yet both exude and embody joy at the deepest level. In 2015, six years before Desmond Tutu passed away, the two holy men spent five days together sharing their thoughts on life, suffering, compassion, joy and more. The two agree that joy comes from within and is largely born from helping people. As Tutu said in the film, "Joy is the reward of seeking to give joy to others." And science backs that up as well. Research on happiness shows that those who do kind things for others are happier and healthier. The more joy we spread, the more joy we receive. [The Swedish resistance to feeding guests may not actually be as rude as it seems]( Growing up, I was taught that it was rude to slurp food at the dinner table. In most American households, if you ate a bowl of soup and audibly slurped the noodles out of your bowl, people would assume you never learned proper table manners. As an adult, though, I lived in Japan for a year, where it is not only acceptable to slurp your noodles loudly around others, but it's actually considered good manners. Noodle slurping is an integral part of Japanese food culture, a norm that feels strange or even wrong to people from most other cultures. This difference was the first thing that came to mind when I saw a flurry of debate recently about a Swedish cultural food norm that some people find downright appalling. It all started with a viral Reddit post asking about the weirdest thing people have had to do in someone's home due to their culture or religion. One responder described being made to wait in a Swedish friend's bedroom while the friend had dinner with their family. "While we were playing in his room, his mom yelled that dinner was ready. And check this. He told me to WAIT in his room while they ate," the person wrote. [These new cookies from Pillsbury can help give veterans safe, rent-free homes as they re-enter civilian life]( It’s the dream of many veterans: a safe and swift return to the security of home – to a place where time can be spent with family while becoming part of a community and creating new memories. With the partnership of non-profit Operation Homefront, Pillsbury is helping give military families the opportunity to do just that. For many of our American soldiers, the dream of making a comfortable return to civilian life is often dashed by harsh realities. Pew Research Center reports that 44% of veterans who have served since Sept 11, 2001 noted having a difficult time re-adjusting. From re-entering into the workforce to finding healthcare services, returning to civilian life can be a harrowing transition. While serving in the military is incredibly stressful, it also provides routine, structure and purpose that is not easily replicated in civilian life. Couple this with a lack of helpful resources for veterans, and the hope for a brighter future can be easily derailed. However, some companies and organizations are stepping in to show support and provide resources. Operation Homefront, an organization dedicated to helping military families transition back to civilian life, launched its Transitional Homes for Veterans (THV) Program in 2018. The program places veteran families in safe, secure, rent-free single-family homes for a period of two-to-three years while providing financial coaching and training to reduce debt, increase savings, and prepare for independent home ownership. Since the THV’s inception, Operation Homefront has defrayed more than $500K in mortgage costs to military families. ['Hacks' star Megan Stalter is back with her hilarious 'Hi Gay' videos poking fun at corporate Pride campaigns]( If you watch the comedy series “Hacks” on HBO, you probably know Megan Stalter as Kayla, the scene stealing, wackadoodle agent assistant with more fashion sense than common sense. But Stalter was making people laugh long before her television debut. The comedian is a well-known internet treasure for her hilarious “Hi Gay” video series, where she pokes fun at the sometimes tone-deaf attempts certain corporations make to appear more accepting or supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community … without practicing true allyship. In June 2021, Stalter became a bona fide meme by playing a stiff-smiled employee of the (fake) Butter Shop "sashaying away with deals" for Pride Month for those that can “prove they’re queer.” The delightfully cringey video amassed 1.4 million views. The Butter Shop is back again for Pride Month 2022 and so too are the southern saleswoman’s failed attempts at courting “the gays.” [Watch this 14-year-old win the National Spelling Bee after an intense lightning round]( Look, spelling bees might not come across as the most exciting type of competition in the world, but rest assured … they are intense. Hours upon hours are spent rigorously studying words you’ve absolutely never heard of (and never will hear again), followed by facing crippling stage fright while avoiding any and all mistakes lest you face the dreaded disqualification. Believe me, you never forget the misspelled word that takes you out. February, with its insidious little “r," haunts me to this very day. It can be even more anxiety-inducing to watch, as was the case with 14-year old Harini Logan’s recent victory at the 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee. The competition had been fierce from the get-go. BuzzFeed News reported that Logan was nearly eliminated due to a discrepancy for the definition of “pullulation,” which can apparently either mean the nesting of mating birds or the swarming of bees. Either way, it’s a great word to throw out to sound smart and nature-savvy. Things really heated up when Logan went head-to-head with fellow competitor Vikram Raju. When each speller made it to the end with the same amount of mistakes, the judges had no other choice but to enforce their first ever “lightning round.” Find us on the World Wide Web: [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [LinkedIn]( 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](.