Breathing Space September 2023

by Dan Comer

Ask For What You Want? Let me be clear: I saw something on Facebook and decided to copy it, just to see what would happen. I had been feeling down and posted the following message: “Tell me something good. I could use a list of good things.” I don’t use Facebook regularly, so it was more than a week before I checked back to see if anyone responded. OMG, so many responses. Here is a sampling:
  • We are alive.
  • The smell of homemade brownies!
  • My baby is almost walking.
  • We picked peppers and tomatoes and zucchini from the garden. Our flowers look nice. There are still good people in the world.
  • It’s my friend’s birthday today.
  • My husband cooked dinner (and it was good!)
  • Going on vacation along Lake Superior with family and then hiking in Wisconsin with friends
  • Walking and exploring New York City (12 miles today!!)
  • Mudslide ice cream from Tillamook… so good.
  • Washington state cherries are in season!!!
  • Cool chocolate pie.
  • Far Side cartoons.
  • One of my dogs is ranked in the Top 12 in the US.
  • It’s a beautiful day!
  • My daughter is about to turn double digits!!!
  • Grandchild, travel, doing what you want, doing good thongs. (Or things).
  • We’re on vacation in Florida and we just got engaged!!
  • I have everything I need and lots of what I want.
  • Something good: Am working on a Swiss grant with a young Ukrainian poet to use poetry as healing for victims of the war.
As you can see, “something good” looks really different to different people! I did try to look for themes in the responses (you will notice your own). Small and large things come to mind. Connections with family and friends are important. Travel and food are biggies! Mostly what I felt was cared about. And how on those certain days, the power of noticing good things can truly be a balm for what ails you. Try it sometime! And just for fun, let’s try it again. Tell me something good. Send your good things to daniel.comer@cuanschutz.edu