Funny, Beautiful, Interesting, Kind. (Vol. 1)

In the past few months, I have often caught myself daydreaming about how I will parent in the future, as my daughter grows older and our family (hopefully) grows in size. One frequent daydream is of our family at the dinner table as our kids grow, sharing stories from our days out in the world, reconnecting and recharging together. But I know all too well how conversations go when they begin with, "How was your day?"

"Fine."

...Not exactly the sparkling conversation of my dreams, is it?

So with an eye to living intentionally and being present to each moment of our lives, we have started a new dinnertime tradition: Funny, Beautiful, Interesting, Kind. When we sit down to dinner together, each of us (Anne is exempt as of now, although not for long!) has to share one of the following from our day:

• What was the funniest thing that happened?

• What was the most beautiful thing you saw or heard (or tasted)?

• What is the most interesting thing you learned?

• What was the kindest thing you did for someone else?

When you know these questions are coming at the end of the day, you pay closer attention to the happenings in your life. And if the day is half gone, and nothing terribly noteworthy has happened, you can take control! Grab a book and read about something new! Get creative and make someone's day with a random act of kindness! Present to our lives, and intentional about living well.

I'd like to expand this conversation into this space, too. Every Friday, I'll post the answer to one of the above questions, taken from the past week. And I hope you'll join me in the comments, starting today!

The most interesting thing I learned this week: if you lightly brush the leaves of tomato seedlings each day with your fingertips, the plants grow sturdier, stockier stems.

What happened in your week that was funny, beautiful, interesting or kind?