Category: Trending

Philippe Morgese is a single dad with a daughter named Emma. She, like many children, happens to have hair.

Like most parents, Morgese is really hoping to do his part to make sure Emma becomes a fully-functioning and responsible member of society. He wants to make sure she grows up confident and well-adjusted. He also wants her to have a good male role model in her life. Ya know, like most of us dads do.

And he wants to make sure her hair looks nice. He didn’t have any people in his life who knew how to braid hair, so he taught himself.

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SCIENCE FACT: Actively involved fathers can have a huge impact on their kids’ school performance.

Morgese got so good at hair braiding that he decided to start a class to help other dads.

SCIENCE FACT: The more a dad is involved in their kid’s life, the more the dad’s self-esteem increases.

The class got pretty popular over time. So much so that he ended up starting a Facebook page called the Daddy Daughter Hair Factory to help dads everywhere learn how to braid hair. He got a kid’s haircare company, SoCozy, to sponsor the class. He even built an incredibly handy website where dads like me, who get horrifically dirty looks from their daughters every time they try to do hair, can learn how to do it correctly.

The class is about more than braiding hair though.

The classes are really about dads and daughters bonding and connecting.

They turn off their screens. They focus on being together. And they just hang out.

SCIENCE FACT: Dads who play with their kids can have a positive impact in their kids ability to have stable relationships later in life.

It’s a win for everyone. Dads and daughters get to spend time with each other and they both get something out of it: new skills for dad and awesome hairstyles for their daughters.

I seriously can’t wait to learn how to do the three-strand braid and the braided elastic coverup.

NON-SCIENCE FACT: I’m looking forward to the day I can make my daughter’s hair look this good while not getting a raging death stare from her.

Watch Morgese and Emma show other dads how to braid hair in this Upworthy Original Video:

And feel free to share this with a dad in need.

This article originally appeared on 04.18.16

Parenting can be a little stressful. There’s no checklist for how to do it perfectly.

As the father of two young daughters, Doyin Richards has a lot of experience in that department. Like most parents, he hopes he’s doing it right. And like most parents, he has a little voice in his head that sometimes makes him second-guess his choices.

What if he’s doing it wrong?

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On his 3-year-old daughter’s first trip to the dentist, Doyin was pretty worried she would freak out about the treatment. Of course, it turns out that the only person who lost their composure that day was him — when he realized she was totally fine and able to handle things herself.

Which made him realize that despite all his fears, he might actually be OK at this whole dad thing.

Watch Doyin try to hold it together while his daughter is totally chill at the dentist in this episode of “What Dads Do”:

This article originally appeared on 08.23.16

There are libraries popping up around the world where you can see the books breathe.

You can watch the books blink, cry, laugh, and think. You can ask them any sort of question and get a real answer.

It’s what the books hope you’ll do.

At the Human Library, the books are people!

It’s set up just like a normal library: You check out a “book” on a certain topic and have an allotted amount of time with it. Only at the Human Library, the book is, well, a human.

People who volunteer to become “books” make their experiences open and available, usually on issues that people tend to have a difficult time discussing. “Readers” are encouraged to ask questions freely, and they’ll get honest answers in return. It’s brilliant.

What kind of books can you borrow there?

1. Borrow a person with autism.

With 1 in 68 kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) today, there’s no better way to learn about it than by interacting with someone who has it.

2. Borrow someone who has modified their appearance.

Ever make assumptions about people with lots of piercings and tattoos? Here’s an opportunity to stop judging a book by its cover and get to know the inside.

3. Borrow a refugee and hear their story.

You’ve heard about the Syrian refugee crisis in the news. Why not put the media on hold and talk to an actual refugee?

4. Borrow someone who is transgender.

Perhaps you’ve always had questions about being transgender but didn’t know how to ask them. Go ahead. Get your questions ready.

5. Borrow a homeless person.

What stories do they have of a life you may never know?

6. Borrow someone with deaf-blindness.

Just because they communicate differently doesn’t mean their stories are less.

7. Borrow someone who is obese.

Society loves to put people in categories. Break through those boundaries to get a fuller picture.

You can borrow a police officer. A veteran with PTSD. A single mom. A Muslim. Someone in a polyamorous relationship. A former gang member. A sex worker. A welfare recipient. A teacher. The list goes on.

The libraries are bringing people who would otherwise never interact together in a way that many communities long for.

That’s what Ronni Abergel has sought to do since the library’s launch in 2000. During a four-day test run at the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen, organizers and festival attendees were stunned at the event’s impact.

“The policeman sitting there speaking with the graffiti writer. The politician in discussions with the youth activist and the football fan in a deep chat with the feminist. It was a win-win situation and has been ever since,” Ronni said on the Human Library’s site.

A no-judgment zone is one key to its impact.

“It’s meant to be a safe space to ask difficult questions and not to be judged,” he told Upworthy. “To try and gain an important insight into the life of someone you think you know something about, but…”

You don’t.

In our quick-to-judge, increasingly polarized world, it’s no wonder these events are growing in size. We need them.

When asked what has changed since these events started, Ronni responded, “The world has changed, for the worse.”

He points to there being less tolerance, less understanding, and less social cohesion than when he first had the idea back in 2000. And unfortunately, he’s right.

When we have states discriminating against transgender people using the bathroom, presidential candidates campaigning to ban an entire religion from entering the United States, and countries still facing stigma around Ebola, it can be hard to want to high-five humanity.

There’s so much to learn about one another. A group of readers here borrowed a nudist.

It’s time to face our fears and confront our stereotypes. To embrace the diversity of this world will allow us to feel more secure in it.

“When you meet our books, no matter who you are and where you are from or which book you will be reading, in the end, inside every person, the result will say: we are different from each other, we see things differently and we live life differently. But there are more things that we have in common than are keeping us apart.” Truth.

If there’s one immediately impactful way to bring communities together, a Human Library might just be it.

Learn more about it in the YouTube video below:

This article originally appeared on 02.18.16

Stan Lee will almost certainly go down as the most influential figure in comic book history.

With his passing, people are celebrating his long and illustrious life. A World War II veteran, comic innovator and someone who truly pushed the needle forward on social progress, here are some of the legendary quotes and deep thoughts that helped define his life:

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His timeless quote made famous through the pages and films of Spider-Man:

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

On coming to terms with his art:

“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you’re able to entertain people, you’re doing a good thing.”

Lee’s X-Men characters were defined by the post World War II legacy. Even series villain Magneto, a survivor of the Holocaust in the original comic storyline, used the hatred of others to define his worldview:

“Your humans slaughter each other because of the color of your skin, or your faith or your politics — or for no reason at all — too many of you hate as easily as you draw breath.”

Lee was still a creative force in the 60’s and 70’s when the Free Love movement was taking hold. He wasn’t above sharing a bit of New Age wisdom of his own:

“There is only one who is all powerful, and his greatest weapon is love.”

Despite creating some of the most iconic superhero characters ever, Lee was deeply humble about his own life:

“Someone wants to do a movie of my life now and he’s writing a script, and I said to him, ‘What the hell could you do? I’ve never been arrested, I haven’t taken drugs, I’ve had the same wife for 54 years… where’s anything of interest to people?’”

And he had a lot of perspective about his own mortality:

“You know, my motto is ‘Excelsior.’ That’s an old word that means ‘upward and onward to greater glory.’ It’s on the seal of the state of New York. Keep moving forward, and if it’s time to go, it’s time. Nothing lasts forever.”

This article originally appeared on 11.12.18

From awkward phone calls and impostor syndrome, to depression and anxiety, at some point all of us have experienced challenging feelings and self-doubt.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, those worries and fears can strike at any moment.

That’s why Beth Evans’ comics feel so familiar and honest.

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The 26-year-old from the Chicago area started doodling and drawing in college and now works on her comic full-time. Through uncomplicated line drawings and simple stories, Evans reveals a slice of her daily life, including some of her anxieties, brushes with self-doubt, and small victories. Working on the comic has helped Evans manage some of these thoughts and feelings too.

“Sometimes I’m not always able to express those feelings in my real life,” she says. “Sometimes it’s easier just to say ‘Here’s the awful emotion of the day, we’re just going to put it down, put it out there. Maybe someone else feels that way so we can feel awful together.”

Her work has clearly struck a chord, as she’s amassed more than 216,000 followers — including some fans so dedicated that they’ve gotten tattoos of her work.

Evans is flattered by the gesture, though she’s a little nervous too. “I just hope they like it,” she says.

Her mindset speaks to the honesty and authenticity of her work — just like the rest of us, Evans experiences feelings of self-doubt. The common feeling just seems to be part and parcel of life as an adult. If we can’t make it go away completely, at least we can commiserate together.

Here are 15 more of Evans comics that may have you saying, “It me.”

1. When you make plans at night versus when you wake up.

2. You still earn a ribbon, even if you have nothing to show for it.

3. And don’t get me started on impromptu small talk.

4. If you can limit the internal screaming to 5%, you’re ahead of the curve.

5. This is how it goes down every. single. time.

6. Just in case you needed a reminder.

7. Though compliments can bring their own kind of anxiety.

8. Adulting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, kids.

9. And why is saving money so, so hard?

10. You know what’s more awkward than feeling all the feelings? Talking about the feelings.

11. But it’s good, especially if you need to.

12. Raise your hand if you’ve played any of these before.

13. Even the love chart is easy to love.

14. It’s totally OK not to know, btw.

15. And, finally, don’t forget to give yourself a break.

No matter your worries, fears, “weird” thoughts, or wild ideas — remember, you’re not alone.

Talk it out, or keep it to yourself. Feel free to laugh, cry, scream, or do something in between. Just remember you are enough, and you are pretty darn great right this second, OK?

And if you enjoy Evans’ work, be sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

This article originally appeared on 09.15.17

Robert Bush Sr. is an avid outdoorsman who runs a Facebook page called “Bob’s Pennsylvania Wildlife Camera.”

He set up a secret camera on a log that lays across a steam to capture footage of all the different animals that walked across it. The result is a relaxing video featuring all sorts of wildlife including a black bear, chipmunk, coyote, turkey, and great horned owl.

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Bush is very active recording wildlife videos, which he shares on his Facebook and YouTube pages.

In the introduction to his Facebook page he captures his philosophy that is welcoming to all, with a few ground rules:

“I love the outdoors and wildlife and I am not anti-hunting, this page is not about hunting and I will not post any hunting pictures or videos on this page, this page is about the wildlife in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Please do NOT post hunting pictures in the comments, and do not comment about killing the animals or about hunting at all, and do not bash hunters or talk about anti-hunting … just enjoy the videos.”

Well said, Robert. And now, on to the first video:

You may have noticed the video is called “The Log 2.” Well, here’s the original.

This article originally appeared on 02.28.20

Things could be going better for the Charlotte Hornets right now. While the team won five of its last six heading into Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic, the Hornets will have to go through the stretch run of the year without the services of LaMelo Ball, who is out for the rest of the season due to an ankle fracture. Beyond that, the team has the fourth-worst record in the NBA, which is both a tough pill to swallow and means they aren’t in a position to maximize their odds of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

But regardless, the season continues on unabated, and on Friday, the team had a special guest sitting courtside, as Hornets owner Michael Jordan joined the team on the bench. It could have gone better for Charlotte, as the team trailed by more than 20 points in the third quarter. The cameras actually caught Jordan right before a Markelle Fultz free throw made Orlando’s lead 23, and unsurprisingly, he wasn’t especially enthused.

There was, however, a fun moment a few seconds later. Rookie center Mark Williams checked out of the game and gave out a number of high fives on the bench. He actually did not see Jordan sitting there wanting some love, and while Williams eventually remedied that, it did make the Hall of Fame inductee laugh.

Orlando would go on to win, 117-106.

Niall Horan‘s new music has everyone talking. As his new single “Heaven” is garnering much buzz, fans are hotly anticipating his new album The Show, which is set to arrive this summer. Of course, as we are months away from The Show, Directioners have already shared their theories about a potential reunion of One Direction, Horan’s former boy band.

While Horan has neither confirmed or denied these theories, he did break down the meaning of the album’s lead single. In an interview with SiriusXM, Horan explained what “Heaven” means to him.

“To me it’s very simply like not conforming to society,” Horan said. “Basically, you know, we live our lives and then we’ve also got other people telling us that we need to do this at this age and that, that age, hitting milestones and stuff like that. And basically then people in turn, people feel like they’ve failed if those milestones weren’t hit at those ages or whatever. So I’ve always been one of those people that like, I’m a cruiser. I just cruise through it and cross that bridge when I come to it, type guy. So that’s what ‘Heaven’ is about.”

You can check out the full interview above.

The Show is out 6/9 via Capitol. Find out more information here.

Suki Waterhouse has had a truly massive week. Not only is she starring as Karen in the new Amazon Prime show, Daisy Jones & The Six, that premiered last night, but she also dropped some new solo music for her fans.

The romantic new “To Love” proves she’s head-over-heels into a new era, as the song is seemingly about her longtime relationship with Robert Pattinson.

“Is there a universe / Where our paths never crossed? / Where I caught your eye / But then someone arrived and we both forgot,” she wonders on the dreamy opening lines.

As she describes, she also couldn’t keep this song on hold for long.

“‘To Love’ is a song that I wrote really recently that I was going to wait to put out on my second album,” Waterhouse said in a statement, via Rolling Stone. “But I felt like it is a very distinct portrait of my heart right now that I wanted to share. I started performing it on tour and got so excited that I wanted to share it with everyone.”

Waterhouse, who has most recently been on tour, hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down when it comes to new songs. In the past year alone, she put out her debut album, I Can’t Let Go, and a follow-up EP, Milk Teeth.

Listen to “To Love” above.

Surprise! There’s a debate going around social media, specifically TikTok, about mothers who would choose to save their own lives over their baby’s life if complications arose during birth. Apparently, the internet is having some big feelings, and surprisingly—or maybe not surprisingly—it’s coming from other women.

Honestly, when I first saw the videos going around about this very heated debate, I didn’t think much of it. But the conversation continued to grow and the judgment of moms who would choose themselves was abundant, so I decided to have a look-see. The debate started after Anabel Morales went viral on the platform for posting a video with a text overlay.

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“To my husband: If I’m giving birth, and the doctor says you need to pick between me or the baby. Please save me. I don’t want Ethan to grow up without a mom, & I don’t want you to have to raise two babies alone while also grieving your wife,” Morales wrote.

Unsurprisingly, many moms agreed, myself included. The thought of leaving behind children to grieve the loss of their mother while being cared for by a father who is also grieving his wife seems unfathomable to some when there’s a choice involved. But to others, the clear choice is on the other end of the spectrum because they couldn’t imagine living without their child. Currently, the 6-second video has 6.6 million views and over a half million likes.

“My mom sadly passed away because it was either me or her. But no one understands how hard it was for me and my dad. Having him raise me alone and me having to grow up without a mom. So I will choose myself no matter how forced I am to choose the baby. Because I don’t want the baby going through what I did. It sucks,” one commenter shared.

That certainly adds another layer that I don’t think many people considered when having this hypothetical but very possible debate. In America, the pregnancy mortality rate is much higher than in other developed nations, with the 2018 CDC data showing that the pregnancy mortality rate among white non-Hispanic people at 13.7 deaths per 100,000 births. The rate is significantly higher for Indigenous and Black people at 26.5 and 41.4 deaths per 100,000 births, respectively.

@anabelmoralezz

😩😩 #trending #viral #pickme #husbandwife #laboranddelivery #savethemoms #foryou #foryoupage #fy #fyp #momsoftiktok

“I used to say save the baby not me. Now that I have a daughter I think so differently,” another mom wrote.

“I had these feelings during my third pregnancy and felt so guilty. I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels this way,” someone else commented.

On the other side of the camp, plenty of people said they would choose their baby. While some were more respectful in their word choice than others, the sentiment was clear.

What you would do in a situation where the choice is between you and your soon-to-be Earth-side baby is completely personal. It’s something discussed in hopes that the choice never has to be made, but for some families it does, and it’s one of those instances where there’s no right answer. The choice between grief and grief feels impossible because no matter what, everyone will hurt.