Reflections from a Word Nerd

Since I have been young, words have fascinated me.  Numbers do nothing for me, but words are exciting and powerful.  Okay, I will admit to being a word nerd.  Reading, writing, even listening to meaningful lyrics move me and put me in my sweet spot.  Even if you are a numbers person, words affect you.  Some words or phrases bring certain people to mind.

My dear mother has a quaint way of terming kisses.  Our family doesn’t kiss each other we “give sugar.”  My hubby does not decide or conclude, he “reckons.”  When Dad is sincere about something, he states it “quite frankly.”  Pappaw Reeves was never hindered but “stymied.”  According to him, planets were never just in a straight line but in a “sygyzy.”  My Granddaddy was a Lockmaster at Dam 43 near us and my hubby worked in Engineering in a ship building company.  Many times both men replaced left and right with port and starboard, the nautical and aeronautical terms for left and right, respectively.

Just think how important they are and moving in weddings.  In our wedding we had the song “Whither Thou Goest” sung.  Just hearing that phrase or the word whither takes me back decades to a church altar where I plighted my troth to my husband.  Isn’t that more romantic than saying at my wedding?  Words can be magical when used correctly and thoughtfully.  They have power to transform and transport.

For me, I love poetic, old fashioned words and Southern phrases.  Women in my family swoon over thing and say “I swan or swanee” because no proper lady should ever say I swear.  We don’t sweat but perspire.  One does not simply hug my Auntie June but must “hug her neck.”  Most importantly, never did I nor have I heard my grandparents, parents or aunts and uncles say what my Grandmother deemed “ugly words.”   Never.

Ugly words or swearing abound in society today.  Using the Lord’s name in vain, cursing, and horrible four letter words are rampant.  Even name-calling seems to be at an all time high.  Tattoos are permanently imprinted on bodies with words that should not be written, spoken or seen.  Clothing prominently sports things that are “ugly” and offensive.  Even some “Christians” have attire proudly proclaiming “Yes, I am a Christian and I cuss a lot.”  What?!  So, I wonder how our Father feels about that?  Or if these people consider the example they are setting?  Ugly words take away from a person’s beauty.  They can sting and hurt.

When I think of my Savior there are many words that come to mind.  Beloved is the first and means dearly loved.  Definitely Jesus loves us dearly.  No doubt about that.  Redemption is another one.  It means being saved from sin or evil.  Christ sought us out before we were born and bought us with his blood on the cross.  He paid the entry fee to eternal life for us.  That fee was his own life.  Absolutely, freely given to us in love is our gift of salvation, which means deliverance from harm or destruction.

Tell me about you?  What words do you relate to people?  Better yet, what words do you think people relate to you?  What if our words appeared on our skin?  Make them pretty words to inspire, bring about happy memories and smiles.  Don’t leave behind ugly words as your impression or influence on this world.  Let your children and grandchildren read “hug my neck” and “give me sugar” or remember you when they hear nice, virtuous, sweet words.  Don’t let #*@$ or worse be your legacy.