One of the gifts I give my grandchildren is that of a robust vocabulary.
I do not plug in devices, check out my text messages, or chat away to other adults while in their company.
I talk to them.
We also enjoy my selected word for the day, and by we, I mean “they” enjoy it, because if I do not supply it, I am admonished to pony up.
The word for the day is a spontaneous choice, often prompted by something happening in our interactions. Today it was “preserve.” We discussed preserving the peace, making strawberry preserve, and visiting nature preserves.
Preserving things of merit is a value of mine. I mean to pass that on.
Another day, we hit the jackpot transactional word string with “quid pro quo.”
I didn’t study Latin, but I come from a medical family steeped in it, and was married to my husband when he undertook law studies. Latin was living to us, even if it was pronounced to be dead.
It is never too early to appreciate the power of cause and effect, just as a trip to the “step” for misbehavior and reflection has not only stood the test of generations in our household—but is being enforced in both generational directions by our three year old.
If said three year old exclaims that she hates me, I may respond, fine—but since Oma is the source from which all good things flow, I suppose she will not mind forgoing her raspberry sorbetto that day.
Quid Pro Quo. (I love you, Oma.)
Competitive societies seem to be fond of designating folks who do whatever is most visibly productive as Movers and Shakers, but I for one have little appetite for being shaken up much more, the way life is agitating and grinding us up in recent years.
So today’s word for the day is Obscurity.
A life of contribution, without the clanging appetite for external reward. ©
