A 42-year-old mother wondered whether she did the right thing by disciplining her 18-year-old daughter‚ Abby‚ who disinvited a friend from vacation because of her weight. The mother asked people on Reddit for their opinion.For some background‚ Abby had struggled with her weight for many years‚ so she went to her mother for help. The two set up a program where Abby was given a reward for every milestone she achieved.“Four months ago‚ she asked that I don't get her any more rewards and add it up to her birthday gift‚ and for her gift she wants a vacation I will pay for‚ for her and her friends instead of the huge party I had promised for her 18th. I said OK‚” the mother wrote.So‚ instead of a series of small gifts‚ Abbey wanted one large one‚ a vacation with two of her friends. The vacation would also celebrate Abby’s 18th birthday. The mother agreed and booked the trip for the 3 girls.“Fast forward to last weekend‚ we started preparing for her vacation‚” the mother wrote. “I called the other two girls' parents to confirm the girls would be and learned Abby's best friend Betty isn't going. Betty loves traveling and was looking forward to the vacation‚ so I asked why. Apparently‚ Abby uninvited her because ‘she is too chubby to look good in pictures.’”When the mother approached Abby about the situation‚ she doubled down on her comments to Betty. “I calmly talked to Abby and reminded her how Betty would feel being left out for such a reason‚ and she went off with‚ 'I didn't work so hard for this vacation so my pictures will be ruined‚'" the mother wrote.Abby then asked Betty to contact her mom and say that she decided not to go on the trip because she wasn’t feeling well. Betty refused to lie‚ and Abby sent her a “ton of hateful texts and body-shaming insults.” Betty shared screenshots of the texts to the mother‚ and she promptly canceled the entire vacation. Now‚ Abby’s father‚ who shares 50-50 custody with the mother‚ is livid‚ and Abby won’t speak to the mother. The mom asked the Reddit AITA forum to see if she was in the wrong‚ and the commenters overwhelmingly said she did the right thing. "Some of my friends agree on my approach‚ while others think I should have put my daughter first‚” the mother said. The most popular commenter was short and to the point. "Teaching your daughter to not be a horrible human being IS putting her first‚" Due_Laugh_3851 wrote. "I commend your strength and parenting skills. This was the right thing to do and would've been hard to do. Well done‚ you deserve to go on the holiday yourself‚" Loud_Wallaby737 added. "... uninviting someone because you only want skinny people in your pictures is a disgusting attitude frankly. Sorry‚ I just don't find a nicer word for it. I am totally with you that this needs to have consequences‚ and while I'm very much against breaking promises‚ I do believe this is an exception. Like you said‚ your daughter knows what it feels like. She (but anyone really) should be supportive of friends wanting to lose weight if that is the case and if it isn't they she should just mind her own business body‚" SensitiveSires wrote. One of the few people who thought she was in the wrong believed that the mother set her daughter up for failure."[You're wrong] for giving your daughter who is a child rewards for weight loss. Her behavior of value based on weight shows she likely has developed disordered eating patterns and attitudes and this will cause her a lifetime of pain‚" tamtheprogram wrote.The silver lining to the story is that many people who commented said that even though her daughter did something very hurtful‚ she’s still a teenager and there’s a chance she’ll realize the error of her ways."The daughter is just a teenager‚ she still has a lot of time to learn and grow up. Writing off her entire future as a mean girl when it’s very rare to be the same exact person you were at 18 as you grow up is a lot‚" Stephapeaz wrote.This article originally appeared on 9.18.23

Samuel J. Seymour was one of the approximately 1‚700 people at Ford’s Theatre in Washington‚ D.C.‚ on April 14‚ 1865‚ the night President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. He was also the last to live long enough to talk about that historic night on television.Seymour was 5 years old when he went to see the play “Our American Cousin” with his nurse‚ Sarah Cook‚ and Mrs. Goldsboro‚ the wife of his father's employer. When Booth shot Lincoln‚ he pulled the trigger during the biggest laugh of the night so that it wouldn’t be heard. What caught Seymour’s attention was when Booth fell from the balcony after a scuffle with Henry Reed Rathbone.Chaos erupted in the theater and Seymour was ushered out by his nurse. While they fled he overheard people screaming‚ "Lincoln's shot! The President is dead!""I saw Lincoln slumped forward in his seat‚" the old man later recalled. "That night I was shot 50 times‚ at least‚ in my dreams—and I sometimes relive the horror of Lincoln's assassination‚ dozing in my rocker as an old codger like me is bound to do."Two months before Seymour’s death at the age of 95‚ he appeared on the game show “I've Got a Secret‚” where panelists tried to guess his secret: “I saw John Wilkes Booth shoot Abraham Lincoln (April 14‚ 1865).”Seymour didn’t speak much during the show but he did make a historic understatement when panelist Jayne Meadows asked if his secret was “a pleasant thing‚” to which Seymour replied‚ “Not very pleasant I don’t think. I was scared to death.”This article originally appeared on 2.3.23

Stock photos of any job are usually delightful cringey. Sure‚ sometimes they sort of get the essence of a job‚ but a lot of the time the interpretation is downright cartoonish. One glance and it becomes abundantly clear that for some careers‚ we have no freakin’ clue what it is that people do. Dr. Kit Chapman‚ an award-winning science journalist and academic at Falmouth University in the U.K.‚ recently held an impromptu contest on Twitter where viewers could vote on which photos were the best of the worst when it came to jobs in scientific fields. According to Chapman’s entries‚ a day in the life of a scientist includes poking syringes into chickens‚ wearing a lab coat (unless you’re a “sexy” scientist‚ then you wear lingerie) and holding vials of colored liquid. Lots and lots of vials. Of course‚ where each image is 100% inaccurate‚ they are 100% giggle inducing. Take a look below at some of the contenders. Chapman’s unofficial photo competition received nearly 500‚000 votes cast throughout four rounds. The grand prize winner was a photo of a female scientist holding a soldering iron (very much not in the right way) as she is “working” on some kind of electrical board. It’s titled‚ “Hold My Soldering Iron.”Time to vote for the worst science stock photos ever! 1. Hold My Soldering Iron. pic.twitter.com/fc76jz8Bs4— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12‚ 2022 “I mean there’s the obvious thing that she'll burn her hand‚ but nobody ever talks about how she's ‘soldering’ the wrong side of the board‚" one person quipped. Of course‚ “Talk to Us‚ Dr. Chicken” was also popular.2. Talk To Us‚ Dr Chicken. pic.twitter.com/IMh0LsmGcg— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12‚ 2022 Clearly using the scientific method to figure out why exactly Dr. Chicken crossed the road. But not as popular as “Syringe Chicken‚” where‚ for some reason‚ a scientist covered in a mask and safety goggles inspects a raw‚ syringe-filled chicken with his teeny tiny magnifying glass. For science! 2. I‚ too‚ store half-used syringes inside an uncooked chicken. pic.twitter.com/noEBQKqbO3— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12‚ 2022 This one was the winner of the second-to-last batch. Ever wonder where space is? Don’t worry‚ leave it to the professionals to point the way.3. TO SPACE!!!! pic.twitter.com/ae1XzzQSKE— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12‚ 2022 “To space!” Chapman captioned. Speaking of professionals‚ everyone dresses for research this way‚ right? 3. Science: It’s a Girl Thing. pic.twitter.com/ogIOrKHWe1— Dr Kit Chapman (@ChemistryKit) October 12‚ 2022 Chapman titled this “Science: It's a Girl Thing."People were quick to chime in with their own contributions‚ including: “Woman Brain Surgeon”My personal favorite https://t.co/MPbQCO5qSF— MAJ Moe MD 🏝 (@donaldmoe) October 13‚ 2022 Otherwise known as a jello mechanic. And some kind of … corn scientist? From the future?I think you're missing the best of them all pic.twitter.com/MBgEO4fByk— autoproclamada generala da URSAL (@generaladaursal) October 12‚ 2022 Why does this seem like it belongs in an Annie Lennox music video? As well as a group of scientists that belong in a Marvel movie for their ability to manipulate atoms. Do not forget manipulating atoms by handhttps://t.co/FTRzyUJp7m— Katie 🎃Boo👻-mah (@nuclearkatie) October 12‚ 2022 While these are certainly not an accurate depiction of the vast and wondrous world of scientific research‚ it did cause many a scientist to share a giggle. So no harm‚ no foul. Not even to chickens. This article originally appeared on 10.27.22

You know that feeling you get when you walk into a classroom and see someone else's stuff on your desk?OK‚ sure‚ there are no assigned seats‚ but you've been sitting at the same desk since the first day and everyone knows it.So why does the guy who sits next to you put his phone‚ his book‚ his charger‚ his lunch‚ and his laptop in the space that's rightfully yours? It's annoying.All you want to do was walk in‚ sit down‚ get out your notebook and (try to) pay attention. But now? Now you've got to talk to a stranger about moving their stuff and there goes your day‚ already bogged down with petty annoyances.Sound familiar? It should.We've all got so much to do these days that interacting with people we see every day — not our friends‚ but our classmates‚ fellow commuters‚ co-workers‚ the people in line for coffee with us every day — can feel like a burden.So‚ when these people do something we perceive as annoying‚ like putting their stuff on our desks‚ we don't have the time or the energy to assume their intentions or think about the lives they're leading.But if we stepped out of ourselves for a second‚ we might just realize that we're all much more connected than we think‚ that our preconceived notions of others are usually just that — preconceived. And‚ often‚ inaccurate.That's why this Twitter story about a guy who learned an important life lesson from a classmate he was frustrated with is going viral.It's the perfect example of that "don't judge a book by its cover" adage we should have all learned in preschool but sometimes forget. And it starts the exact same way as this post — with a college student groaning on the inside as he sees someone's stuff on his desk. — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) — (@) If not for this one day running late‚ McFall may have never realized what his classmate was trying to do. And he may have continued to think of him as annoying‚ maybe telling others about "the weird guy who was always trying to take up my space"... when all the guy was really trying to do was be kind. We all misinterpret the actions of others sometimes. It's easy to do that! But if there's one thing this story reminds us‚ it's that it's important to stop and remember that while you're living your life‚ other people are living theirs‚ so assuming best intentions can do us a great favor. That's why we should step outside of our bubbles and engage with the world on a regular basis. You could make a new friend. You might brighten someone's day. But most importantly‚ getting out of your own head‚ checking your own biases‚ and giving others the benefit of the doubt will make you a more compassionate person. You don't have to engage with everyone you meet‚ but the next time someone smiles and offers you a high-five? Maybe just take them up on it.This article was originally published on April 16‚ 2018.

The world said goodbye to Holly Butcher‚ a 27-year-old woman from Grafton‚ Australia.Butcher had been battling Ewing's sarcoma‚ a rare bone cancer that predominantly affects young people. In a statement posted on Butcher's memorialized Facebook account‚ her brother‚ Dean‚ and partner‚ Luke‚ confirmed the heartbreaking news to friends."It is with great sadness that we announce Holly's passing in the early hours of this morning‚" they wrote on Jan. 4‚ 2018. "After enduring so much‚ it was finally time for her to say goodbye to us all. The end was short and peaceful; she looked serene when we kissed her forehead and said our final farewells. As you would expect‚ Holly prepared a short message for you all‚ which will be posted above."Butcher's message‚ which Dean and Luke did‚ in fact‚ post publicly shortly thereafter‚ has brought the internet to tears. We believe her powerful message — which has amassed an incredible 72‚000 Likes and 56‚000 shares across the world so far — deserves to be spread far and wide.Butcher used her final post to reflect on what she's learned in her short but beautiful life‚ offering some advice to those of us who are willing to listen."It's a strange thing to [realize] and accept your mortality at 26 years young‚" she began. "I always imagined myself growing old‚ wrinkled and gray — most likely caused by the beautiful family (lots of kiddies) I planned on building with the love of my life. I want that so bad it hurts. That's the thing about life; It is fragile‚ precious and unpredictable and each day is a gift‚ not a given right."Butcher's poignant post is definitely worth reading in full. But here are 16 especially powerful points:1. "I just want people to stop worrying so much about the small‚ meaningless stresses in life and try to remember that we all have the same fate after it all‚ so do what you can to make your time feel worthy and great‚ minus the bullshit. ... Those times you are [whining] about ridiculous things (something I have noticed so much these past few months)‚ just think about someone who is really facing a problem. Be grateful for your minor issue and get over it. It's OK to acknowledge that something is annoying but try not to carry on about it and negatively affect other people's days."2. "Once you do that‚ get out there and take a freaking big breath of that fresh Aussie air deep in your lungs‚ look at how blue the sky is and how green the trees are; It is so beautiful. Think how lucky you are to be able to do just that — breathe. You might have got caught in bad traffic today‚ or had a bad sleep because your beautiful babies kept you awake‚ or your hairdresser cut your hair too short. ... I swear you will not be thinking of those things when it is your turn to go. It is all SO insignificant when you look at life as a whole. I'm watching my body waste away right before my eyes with nothing I can do about it and all I wish for now is that I could have just one more birthday or Christmas with my family‚ or just one more day with my partner and dog. Just one more."3. "I hear people complaining about how terrible work is or about how hard it is to exercise — be grateful you are physically able to. Work and exercise may seem like such trivial things…until your body doesn't allow you to do either of them… Appreciate your good health and functioning body — even if it isn't your ideal size. Look after it and embrace how amazing it is."4. "Give‚ give‚ give. It is true that you gain more happiness doing things for others than doing them for yourself. I wish I did this more. Since I have been sick‚ I have met the most incredibly giving and kind people and been the receiver of the most thoughtful and loving words and support from my family‚ friends and strangers; more than I could ever give in return. I will never forget this and will be forever grateful to all of these people."5. "This year‚ our family agreed to do no presents and despite the tree looking rather sad and empty (I nearly cracked Christmas Eve!)‚ it was so nice because people didn't have the pressure of shopping and the effort went into writing a nice card for each other. Plus‚ imagine my family trying to buy me a present knowing they would probably end up with it themselves ... strange! ... but those cards mean more to me than any impulse purchase could. ... Anyway‚ moral of the story — presents are not needed for a meaningful Christmas."6. "Use your money on experiences ... or at least don't miss out on experiences because you spent all your money on material shit. Put in the effort to do that day trip to the beach you keep putting off. Dip your feet in the water and dig your toes in the sand. Wet your face with salt water."7. "Try just enjoying and being in moments rather than capturing them through the screen of your phone. Life isn't meant to be lived through a screen nor is it about getting the perfect photo."8. "Listen to music ... really listen. Music is therapy."9. "Cuddle your dog. Far out‚ I will miss that."10. "Talk to your friends. Put down your phone. Are they doing OK?"11. "Travel if it's your desire‚ don't if it's not."12. "Work to live‚ don't live to work."13. "Seriously‚ do what makes your heart feel happy."14. "Don't feel pressured to do what other people might think is a fulfilling life. You might want a mediocre life and that is so OK."15. "Tell your loved ones you love them every time you get the chance and love them with everything you have."16. "Oh and one last thing. If you can‚ do a good deed for humanity (and myself) and start regularly donating blood. It will make you feel good with the added bonus of saving lives. Blood donation (more bags than I could keep up with counting) helped keep me alive for an extra year — a year I will be forever grateful that I got to spend here on Earth with my family‚ friends and dog. A year I had some of the greatest times of my life."Butcher may be gone‚ but her impact will live on in the hearts and minds of people around the world."Never [met] her‚ but I am very touched and in tears‚" one Facebook user commented. "Such a bright light for a seemingly dark world at times‚" another chimed in. "Beautiful.""What a wise soul she is‚" someone concluded. "I'm off to donate my blood."Rest in peace‚ Holly. You made this world a better place. ❤️If you are in the U.S. and inspired by Butcher's message‚ consider finding a blood donation center near you. You could save a life.This article originally appeared on 01.08.18

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