The ‘Good’ List
/“A weekly inventory of ideas, rituals and cultural artifacts to add joy to your days.”
Melissa Kirsch - NYT photo
We follow Melissa Kirsch in the New York Times. She writes a column every Saturday in ‘The Morning’. She doesn’t write about news, politics, or world events. She’s kind of the ‘Seinfeld’ of weekly news columnists… she seemingly writes about nothing, but it’s always about something, and it’s always interesting. She’s self-effacing and doesn’t take herself too seriously. Her columns are down-to-earth and germane to everyday life. They’re delightful to read and usually elicit a chuckle or two.
She says, “My beat is broadly about how to lead a meaningful life. I’m interested in the eternal human pursuit of happiness, connection and community and the ways in which technological advancement both helps and hinders these aims.”
She recently introduced a new newsletter called ‘The Good List’, explaining it wasn’t the ‘best’ list nor the ‘most’ list, it was just a ‘good’ list, a recognition of everyday things and events that bring you joy. Right off the bat, it sounded schmaltzy, but we read on. But she continued, “ In a world of bests, good is a relief. Best invites an argument; good is just a suggestion.” The intent is to recognize the little ‘good’ things instead of dwelling on the bad.
She does it as a list so that it’s concrete. I’m an inveterate list maker, so I get this. A list you can refer to at a later time and compare the entries to your current situation, or maybe it can just serve as a reminder. When we travel, I journal daily. At home, we get caught up in the daily routine of chores and errands, and we sometimes forget to take a breath. As corny and saccharine as it might sound, we thought we’d give it a try. It’s become an end-of-day ritual to ask each other… ‘So what was a ‘good’ thing today?’ It doesn’t have to be big or monumental… just something that brought joy, amusement, or satisfaction. It’s a surprisingly gratifying and heartening exercise.
Here’s an example of some of our ‘good list’ entries from last week or so…
Checking out our newly planted garden and seeing the first sprouts on the peas and baby tomatoes on the tomato plants. And there’s a baby fig on newly transplanted Figgy Doolittle.
The curious satisfaction we gain from crunching acorns and acorn caps under our heels on the sidewalk during our morning walks. We look weird doing it, but we certainly do enjoy it.
The pleasure of smelling and savoring the first cup of coffee in the morning
The absolute delight and wonder in seeing the Roy Purcell murals on the cliffs in Chloride, AZ for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I was reviewing the photos and was delighted all over again.
Roy Purcell’s murals in Chloride, Arizona
Getting to genius on Spelling Bee (and beating Brennan’s score which is rare).
Someone stopped us and said they loved watching us walk hand in hand. (awww!)
Just like us except we don’t use canes yet.
I found a nickel in the parking lot at the grocery store yesterday.
It certainly beats complaining all the time, plus we end our days upbeat and a tad more optimistic. Give it a try. It’s amazing how many tiny ‘good’ things add up to an enjoyable day.