The Good Stuff - Vol VI
❤️🩹 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember these things
Hi everyone,
This is an unplanned, last-minute post because, honestly, after this week, I needed a reminder of the good things that bring me hope—and thought it might be something we could all use. Between the Ballon d'Or results and the wave of reactions that followed, the natural disasters in Valencia, today’s news, and my own stack of anxiety-inducing stuff, I felt the need to pause and take a breath.
You may have noticed I didn’t send you a newsletter last week. With all the noise surrounding the Ballon d'Or awards, I felt that the best thing this platform can offer is a bit of silence. I’ll likely share my thoughts on it once I’ve had time to reflect and decide how I want to approach it. But for now, back to The Good Stuff.
A fundamental I carry with me is to call to mind what brings me hope, so I collected a few of those to share with you today, and hopefully, they’ll offer you a bit of light, too. This edition of The Good Stuff series will look a bit different, and not everything is football-related, but they say desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
What I’m calling to mind today
🌪️ My team, despite this year’s horrible campaign (please join me in prayer so we don’t get relegated). Last week’s game made me really wish I were there—the atmosphere was incredible, and seeing our women’s team do their victory lap in front of that wild crowd got me all kinds of emotional from afar.
🏀 This adorable exchange at a basketball game.
😮💨 Lin-Manuel Miranda singing the first version of My Shot.
👏🏿 Luton Town’s statement. I can’t wait to write about it here very soon.
🥹 This heartwarming moment between Saka and the most precious little fan.
🏃♂️ This legend cheering for random Johns at the NYC Marathon.
🫰Spotting cute dogs on my daily walks.
🫶 This newsletter, the people I’ve met through it, the opportunities it’s brought, and, the fact that there is a good number of you on the other side reading and resonating with it. Thank you!
📻 Oliva Dean’s Sunday radio show.
❤️ This Nottingham Forrest press conference.
🩺 Finding a new (or not necessarily) thing I really, really, like. I’m currently obsessed with ER (yep, the show from the 90s), which, despite all the blood, has been a surprising joy to unwind with at the end of the day.
✊🏿 This deep-dive on how Ruud Gullit support of the anti-Apartheid movement and how football, music, and social impact make such a powerful blend.
🎖️ Vicente Moreno’s response to the flooding in Valencia (in Spanish).
What about you? Do you have anything to add to the list? Or any go-to practices for days when hope feels in short supply? Feel free to share in the comments, or reply directly to this email if you prefer.