Good Thing

Bad Thing, Funny Thing

We have a routine every night (in Denver) at dinner. We each go around the table and we say our "Good thing, bad thing and funny thing of the day". The only THING you have to have is a good thing. The other two are flexible. BUT you ALWAYS have to have a GOOD thing*.


Timeshare Paul and I met for drinks tonight. Unbeknownst to him, he asked "what has been your best thing". To me, this was a HUGE question. "It's all been pretty incredible". Then I thought for a few minutes. TWO things popped into my head:

Sunset. That's a given. I schedule my entire day around the sunset. Truly, where I am living clouds up every afternoon. Literally, at sunset, about 15 minutes before - the clouds go away. And you can see the sunset into the ocean. It's freaking perfect........

I think I saw a green flash. I have seen ONE before, and truly I know the only one I KNOW I will see is from the airport waiting on the flight out..

Good thing #2

The outriggers.

No, it's not surfing, snorkeling, hiking, etc.

My two favorite things since I have been here have been WATCHING.

Watching sunsets and watching the outriggers.

Quite honestly, when is the sun is setting and the outriggers are rowing and I'm clean and WATCHING, well - then at that moment, life is perfect.

It looks EXACTLY LIKE YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO LOOK.

It doesn't get much better than that....

And really, what does that really teach us???? The best things in life aren't things.....


***not quite sure where/why/how I started this tradition, but it works much better than "how was your day?". There are times when our dinner lasts 45 minutes or more. It inspires conversation. The kids also tell you things you weren't expecting. All I know is I must have read the idea somewhere. And it started out with just "good thing/bad thing" and "funny thing" was added later.

And there is nothing more heart-warming to hear your kid say "Tell me your good thing of the day?" And EVEN more heart-warming is when your children's great-grandfather (we were at their house) says to your child, "Well, if you don't have a funny thing, just look at me. I'll be your funny thing".

BTW, this has now been carried on to other households in the neighborhood. Carry on.