When Matthew Perry died in October 2023 at 54, the public grieved the loss of Chandler Bing, the quick, anxious, endlessly quotable heart of “Friends.” His sister Caitlin Morrison was grieving something more private. And in the weeks after his death, her phone kept ringing with stories about her brother she had never heard. In an interview with CTV’s “The Social” (@thesocialctv), Morrison described what those calls were like. One after another, people reached out not just to offer condolences but to tell her how Perry had quietly helped them through the worst stretches of their lives. One caller recounted how he had stepped in to help their wife through a crisis. Others were people who had gotten through their own struggles because of something he did or said. None of it had been public. Most of it, she was hearing for the first time. View this post on Instagram “This was a guy I could lean on every time things were hard, and there were so many stories like that,” Morrison said. “He went around even when he was struggling and did everything he could to help anyone else who was struggling.” Perry was open for years about his severe addiction to drugs and alcohol, a fight he documented unsparingly in his 2022 memoir and in interviews. He was not a man who had beaten his demons and then turned around to help others from a place of safety. He was helping people while still in the thick of his own struggle, which is a harder and more generous thing. He was also clear about how he wanted to be remembered, and it had nothing to do with the sitcom that made him famous. “When I die, I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned,” he said in an interview with Tom Power. “Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone, but together, one day at a time, we can beat it down.” His family has worked to make that wish the headline. Morrison now serves as executive director of the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, which supports people in their first year of recovery, the period Perry himself described as the hardest. As she told CNN, the work doubles as her own way through grief. “If the work that I’m doing right now saves a family from feeling that way, that’s a relief to my own grief,” she said. The calls, in the end, gave her something the public tributes couldn’t. Not the famous version of her brother, but the private one, the friend strangers trusted in their lowest moments, doing the quiet work nobody filmed. “It makes me feel amazing,” she said of hearing the stories. For a sister missing her brother, each call was both a fresh grief and a reminder of exactly who he was. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, the SAMHSA National Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24/7 at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). The post After Matthew Perry died, the condolence calls revealed a side of him even his sister didn’t fully know appeared first on Upworthy.

Thirty-one-year-old Mari Huang had only just moved to New York City when she stumbled upon an estate sale of a woman who lived in the Upper East Side. Being a naturally “nostalgic” person, she decided to go in and see what long-lost treasures awaited.  Amongst the various knick-knacks, Huang found herself a vintage Rolodex for $5, which was filled to the brim with cards of independent retailers, restaurants, niche bookstores, and other former haunts this woman might have frequented.  One thrifty find turned into an incredibly wholesome romp down memory lane Thinking it’d be the perfect way to explore her new home, and perhaps learn more about this mysterious estate owner in the process, this Ohio native made an impulse buy. And a super wholesome adventure ensued, one that perfectly encapsulated the special kind of magic New York holds.  So far, only two episodes of the “Rolodex Recs” series are out on TikTok (in episode 2, Huang jokingly admits to learning that this “business card holder” isn’t technically a Rolodex at all, but “Business Card Holder Recs” doesn’t have the same punch). But there have already been quite a few gems featured, including:  Tiny Doll House– a whimsical miniature shop where she bought a trinket for her sister Orwashers– a bakery next door that’s been around since 1916  Fabulous Fanny’s– a glasses shop with the world’s largest collection of vintage eyewear  Kitchen Arts & Letters, Corner Bookstore– two bookstores, one dedicated solely to food-related books, the other famously featured in You’ve Got Mail   La Bomboniera– a wine and espresso bar with “insane” Italian pastries @mari__huang big shout out to @shortformseries helping me produce my dream little miniseries #nyctiktok #nyc #newyorker #nycrecs #estatesale ♬ original sound – ⋆˚꩜｡ mari in nyc ⋆˚꩜｡ Of course, many businesses in the Rolodex have not stood the test of time, be it due to gentrification, rent prices, etc. But clearly, quite a few have, and have remained beloved staples in the community.  “Oh my gosh, I’ve been to all these spots. It feels so special to know someone else loved them as much as I do,” wrote one viewer.  With each new find, Huang began painting a picture of this woman,  whom Huang nicknamed “Peach,” according to The New York Post.  Peach died in 2024 at 79, but possessed “amazing taste,” Huang gushed, and lived a “really cool” life enriched by style and culture. Not only did she collect cards from businesses, but local artists as well, including Broadway actresses, opera singers, musicians, and vintage jewelry experts.  And it wasn’t just keepsakes that Peach meticulously curated. She also kept gratitude lists, one rather cheeky addition being “air to breathe, water to drink and swim in, money I have to give, family and sex.” @mari__huang episode two!!! Adding the google list in the comments #nyctiktok #nycrecs #newyorker #newyorkcity #estatesale ♬ original sound – ⋆˚꩜｡ mari in nyc ⋆˚꩜｡ Folks who’ve tuned into the adventure have dubbed it a “wonderful way to commemorate” Peach, despite having never actually known her.  “This is making me emotional…this was someone’s life. You are in their footsteps… I’m gonna cry,” read one heartfelt comment.  Huang tells Upworthy that she’s glad people found the series equally as “magical” as she did, noting that there’s something undeniably “special to walk in a stranger’s steps and see the city” through their eyes.” Hunga shows off her lemon zest cake at La Bomboniera. TikTok Through this delightful series, Huang has not only learned about this person she now calls a “kindred spirit,” or about the charm of New York, but about the “importance of human connection.” “It’s been special to see how community-focused a lot of her spots are,” Huang shared. “People who have been coming to the spots for years and are chatting about their families and lives. I think it taught me to take my AirPods out when I’m shopping and talk to people!” Tune in for more Rolodex finds by following Huang on TikTok. wjk The post Woman finds old Rolodex of forgotten New York gems, and it becomes a heartwarming tribute appeared first on Upworthy.

Somewhere around six months, a relationship stops being all butterflies and becomes an actual thing two people are building. The infatuation haze thins out, and you’re left with a more useful question than “do I like them”: do you actually know them? Jeff Guenther, a licensed counselor in Portland with a two-decade practice and nearly three million followers as @TherapyJeff on social media, made a list to help you find out. In a TikTok that’s pulled in roughly 13 million views, Guenther laid out twelve things he thinks you should be able to answer about your partner by the half-year mark, and, just as importantly, that they should be able to answer about you. His tone is the opposite of a pop quiz. “If you don’t know these things, don’t freak out, just ask each other,” he says, calling them basics worth building on rather than a test you pass or flunk. Get nine of the twelve and, in his book, you’re doing great. @therapyjeff 12 things you should already know about your partner 6 months into a relationship. #therapy #relationshiptips #love #dating #relationshipadvice ♬ original sound – TherapyJeff Here’s the full list, with the gist of why he says each one matters: What makes them laugh or cry? By now you’ve seen the range of their emotions, so you should know what cracks them up and what genuinely guts them. What are they passionate about? A good partner helps the other person chase what lights them up, which is hard to do if you don’t know what it is. How did their family affect their growth? You may not have every detail, but you should have the broad strokes of the childhood that shaped them. What makes them mad? And more to the point, how do they handle anger when it shows up, in a healthy way or not? Do they have spiritual beliefs, and how do those shape their choices? Whatever the answer, it often sits underneath their morals and values. What are their defining moments? The handful of stories that made them who they are, and that tend to make you feel closer once you’ve heard them in full. What matters most to them? Their North Star, whether that’s family, career, freedom, or something else entirely. How do they define success? Money, status, peace, connection, what does “I made it” actually look like to them? What support do they need when they’re stressed or sad? Do they want validation, problem-solving, or just to vent? You’re probably their main support person, so this one earns its keep. What are they proudest of about themselves? Knowing their sense of accomplishment lets you help build a life with more of those moments in it. What instantly lights them up? Guenther calls this a cheat code: the reliable thing that can pull them out of a bad mood. How do they recharge their emotional batteries? After six months you’ve seen them depleted. Do they need quiet, fresh air, or to zone out, and can you help them get there? A pregnant couple arguing. Photo credit: RyanKing999 via Canva. The throughline, as one viewer pointed out, is that the list is basically a single question in twelve costumes: what do I need to know in order to take care of this person? Guenther is upfront that it isn’t exhaustive and invites people to add their own. And the reassuring part is built into how he frames it. Blanking on a few of these at six months isn’t a failing grade. It’s a to-do list of conversations worth having on purpose, instead of waiting to discover the answers the hard way. View this post on Instagram For more relationship content, follow Jeff Guenther on TikTok and Instagram. The post A therapist says you should know these 12 things about your partner by the 6-month mark appeared first on Upworthy.

When a wealthy donor gives a substantial amount of money to fund a building or institution, their name is often associated with it. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building that houses the New York Public Library, for example, or the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. But occasionally, a philanthropist comes along who eschews such honors. One of those big donors was Julius Rosenwald, the businessman responsible for the success of Sears, Roebuck in the early 1900s. After a visit to a German museum, he was inspired to create an interactive museum in Chicago. He donated millions of dollars to fund the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), which became—and remains—one of the city’s most popular attractions. The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) was renamed the Griffin MSI in 2024. (Image credit: Public domain) The MSI was renamed the Griffin MSI in 2024, after billionaire Kenneth Griffin, who donated $125 million to the museum. The name change was a bit ironic, considering Rosenwald had refused to let anyone put his name on it. It wasn’t about anonymity. It was about community. “The greatest thing about Julius Rosenwald is not his business but himself, not what he has but what he is,” young journalist B. C. Forbes (later of Forbes magazine fame) wrote in a 1916 article, “his character, his personality, his sincerity, his honesty, his democracy, his thoughtfulness, his charity of heart, his catholicity of sympathy, his consuming desire to help the less fortunate of his fellow creatures.” Rosenwald didn’t believe in anonymous donations, as he felt visibility and credibility in philanthropy were important. But he also didn’t believe in plastering his name all over things he helped fund. “If no name is used it will belong to the people,” he said. Photo credit: Public domain – Julius Rosenwald has been called "America's First Social Philanthropist" Community ownership and buy-in were important to Rosenwald, and his generous giving included insistence that beneficiaries contributed something as well. He also fanagled local and state governments into participating in philanthropic projects they had normally steered clear of. He founded nearly 5,000 schools with Booker T. Washington Rosenwald celebrated his 50th birthday in 1912 by launching his “Give While You Live” initiative. Giving around $700,000 in philanthropic donations, he encouraging other wealthy individuals to give as well. Among Rosenwald’s gifts was a $25,000 donation to Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute. Washington invested part of the money into building schools in rural Alabama where little to no education was being offered to Black children. The schools were received with enthusiasm, and Washington documented how they uplifted community pride. Booker T. Washington worked with Rosenwald to build schools for rural Black children in the South. (Image credit: Public domain) Seeing the transformation the schools made, Rosenwald and Washington ramped up the program. Together, they spent the next two decades building nearly 5,000 schools. The schools, which people referred to as Rosenwald schools, revolutionized education in the American South. By 1932, the year Rosenwald died, 4,977 Rosenwald schools and 380 complementary buildings had been built. That year, 27% of Black children in America were educated at one of their schools. America’s ‘first social philanthropist’ revolutionized giving Rosenwald didn’t just give money away. He also got involved in his philanthropic projects, giving his time, energy, and expertise. His insistence that beneficiaries contribute meant the families who benefited from Rosenwald schools contributed 16 percent of total costs, versus the 15 percent he gave. A Rosenwald school in Virginia (Image credit: History2049/Wikimedia Commons He saw philanthropy as a way to help people help themselves. He described his projects as “opportunities for self-improvement, for education and recreation, for the acquisition of spiritual, moral, mental, and physical strength, that makes for manhood and self-reliance.” Rosenwald also didn’t want his wealth to live in perpetuity, dribbling out funds slowly via his foundation after his death. He arranged for his foundation to give vigorously enough to expend all its funds and be sunsetted 25 years after his death. Over his lifetime, he gave away over $60 million, the equivalent of $1 billion today. Rosenwald has been called “America’s First Social Philanthropist,” paving the way for other wealthy donors who wish to do good without making a show of it to follow in his footsteps. The post Wealthy Chicagoan secretly built 5,000 schools and a popular museum, but refused to put his name on them appeared first on Upworthy.

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova are two of the biggest names in women’s tennis history. The pair were rivals on the court for decades. But when they didn’t have racquets in their hands, they became very good friends. The women sat down with People to share their story ahead of Netflix’s new documentary Chris & Martina: The Final Set. They shared their deep respect for one another as athletes, women, and friends. Both Chris and Martina have battled cancer and stayed by each other’s side. Chris recently shared that her ovarian cancer had returned. “It wasn’t something we needed to get closer to each other, but knowing the other one’s there and knows what you feel like, it’s like you’re not alone anymore. She was there for me, I was there for her,” Martina said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tennis (@tennischannel) Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova Understand Each Other’s Lives When women share experiences, they grow closer. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova know what it means to live in the spotlight and how to balance a private life. Shortly after Martina Navratilova completed her throat and breast cancer treatment, Chris Evert told Martina Navratilova her cancer had returned. As soon as she could, Martina made it to Chris’ home with a special homemade soup and the love she needed to help her get through a tough day. “I always say if I was ever going to be in the trenches with someone during something like this, it would be Martina, because she’s so fricking tough. She’s mushy, but she looks at things straight on: ‘This is what it is. I’m going to attack it.’ You’d never want a friend to have cancer with you, but it’s comforting that somebody understands what you’re going through.” This story’s featured image is by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival