#30DaysofGOOD Challenge: 4. Ask a Relative What They Did Today

Welcome to The GOOD 30-Day Challenge (#30DaysofGOOD). Each month, we challenge our community members to do something that will improve the world around us—and our own lives. The challenge for September? To connect with other people. In an effort to help us all rise to the occasion, we're going to assign one small task every day. Each morning, we will post the challenge on GOOD.is and Twitter, along with a testimonial from someone on the GOOD team who's already completed it. We invite you to complete all 30 mini-challenges with us! Today, we challenge you to:

Ask a relative what they did today.

I've always been close with my grandparents. They cheered me on from the sidelines of my soccer games and sent me rhyming birthday cards year after year. But when my grandfather had a brain aneurysm two years ago, I decided to take advantage of their nearby location and unwavering desire to spend as much time as possible with me.

Our visits have become pretty routine. We sit around their kitchen table, which probably has been there since the day they moved in 50 years ago. And my grandma grills me.

Grandma: How's your day?
Me: Good.
Grandma: Now, tell me what you do again. I don't understand. What is it?
Me: Well, I'm a community manag…
Grandma: Do you have any new special friends—that are boys?

So I decided to break the mold of scripted conversation. This time I would ask the questions.

Unsurprisingly, I found my grandparents sitting around their kitchen table. Before grandma could begin her interrogation, I blurted out, “How was your day?” My grandma glared at me. I wondered if she was mentally accusing me of stealing her job, or if she just processing the question. Her eyes softened and she replied, “It was good.” And then, “We took a walk in the park.” And there was more. A lot more. Turns out my grandma loves talking about herself.

- Hillary Newman

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Ready, set, go! Good luck completing today's challenge. Share your experience on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook by using the hashtag #30DaysofGOOD, or let us know how it went in the comments section below.

Tomorrow's challenge: Coordinate a group outing.