Good Things

Way back when I was a teacher . . . I attended a workshop at which we were told to greet students by asking them to name a "Good Thing."  While I won't go into the details of the horrors of teacher trainings, I will state that generally these well-intended ideas are actually insane in the real practice of teaching.  Like while trying to run to the restroom, fix broken lockers, take attendance, and grab a bite to eat in a 4 minute passing period, I should also stand at my door and have this meaningful exchange with all 42 students in my class.  Supposedly asking someone to name something good puts a positive spin on everything and sets a good tone for the class, blah, blah, blah . . .

For some inexplicable reason, I decided to employ this particular strategy with my World of Warcraft guild Officer Meeting.  This weekly meeting began at 11pm and lasted approximately 2 hours where we would discuss the week's raids, our raiders, plans, goals, problems, and upcoming content.  It included a written agenda, homework, and reports from each of 5-7 officers.  To my officers' credit, they tolerated some pretty crazy stuff from me (the Guild Leader) including having them write peer reviews of each other, and making them sit out if they were not completed on time. Looking back they were some of the most phenomenal human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing.  Anyway, I started each meeting by making them each share a Good Thing.  A few of them protested or said it was stupid or that they couldn't think of anything - one guy even left the guild over it, seriously. But one guy, Penimus, told us each week about the sandwich he was eating.  Sometimes he even told us with his mouth full about what a great sandwich it was.  I am sure that he was just doing it to get me to shut up and move on, but I usually asked about the sandwich and its vegetables, dressing, or some other detail.  It became a weekly ritual to celebrate the sandwich. At the time I suspected that he thought I was insane, but looking back, he was brilliant. Pen found a way to celebrate a small thing in life and really, honestly answer my question each time.

Fast forward to tonight:  It was a rough evening.  All 3 of my kids wanted everything, at the same time.  I had had a taxing day with my plans being changed a million times, the painter no showed, my daughter got in trouble at school, and I'm stressed getting ready for this weekend.  Trying to get dinner on the table was a nightmare: husband would not be home till 9, daughter got baby's food all over him and everything else in sight, other daughter kept licking everything, food does not cook when you turn the incorrect eye on.  By the time we sat down to dinner an hour late, the fact that I put shiitake mushrooms in the pasta was irrelevant.  As is our nightly ritual, I asked my girls to name a Good Thing for the day.  My 3 year old responded with, "We are finally eating."

I started to tell her that her answer was unacceptable because it was shallow and a bit pointed (at me!), but I thought back to Pen and his sandwiches . . . and I agreed with her that it was a Good Thing.  Just like those sandwiches, tonight's dinner was Good.  We have food to eat.  We ate it together.  The girls even helped prepare it.

It took me a lot of years to realize that the point of Good Things wasn't the big stuff.  It wasn't about being valedictorian, winning the lottery, being homecoming queen, or making 100 on a test.  Good Things is about finding joy in the mundane.

So I ask you, name a Good Thing that happened today ________________________  .