Words, what a vast subject! “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you”. What a ridiculous saying! Of course words can and do hurt far too often. This makes me cross as it’s so very unnecessary. A Belgian friend received an extremely hurtful letter from her step-daughter. She sent me a photocopy of it. It upset me, I can only imagine what it did to her!
However words can warm our hearts, make us feel ten feet tall and give us blue skies on the cloudiest day. Especially “I love you” or “Je t’adore”. When we’re having a stressful time it helps to remind us that above the clouds the sky is still blue. We just need to wait for the clouds to pass.
A lovely word in French is “doyen” meaning the senior man. I’m the “doyenne” of Frenchay Church Choir, the PCC and several other groups, which pleases me. I’m not so keen on ”oldest old lady”!
What’s in a word? Plenty!
Our Tante Céline was the doyenne of her fishing village. Etaples is a few miles from Le Touquet. She was so respected in Etaples that at every important occasion she rode alongside Monsieur le Marie. To cross busy roads with her was frightening. She waved a large white handkerchief and marched across causing the traffic to screech to a halt! She always wore the full costume of the Pas de Calais so was very recognisable. The pleated sunray hat is called “Chapeau de Soleil” (Hat of the Sun). Tante Céline had twenty one nieces but no children. She only allowed Françoise, one of the nieces and myself to be photographed wearing her costume. A great honour!
I admire Archbishop Justin Welby because he is such a modest man and I often find the things he says are thought provoking. Last week I heard him say that he prefers the word joy to the word happiness.
Did you realise that we usually say “Happy Birthday”, “Happy Christmas” and “Happy Easter”? Not so in French where it’s “Bon Anniversaire” and “Bon Noёl” using the word for good. Easter must please the Archbishop because there we wish each other “Joyeuse Pâques” (have a joyful Easter).
Actually I prefer “happy” to “merry” as an adjective. You can be merry when your heart is breaking!
So, I wish you all a very Joyful Easter and a beautiful April (one of my favourite months)
Esmé
However words can warm our hearts, make us feel ten feet tall and give us blue skies on the cloudiest day. Especially “I love you” or “Je t’adore”. When we’re having a stressful time it helps to remind us that above the clouds the sky is still blue. We just need to wait for the clouds to pass.
A lovely word in French is “doyen” meaning the senior man. I’m the “doyenne” of Frenchay Church Choir, the PCC and several other groups, which pleases me. I’m not so keen on ”oldest old lady”!
What’s in a word? Plenty!
Our Tante Céline was the doyenne of her fishing village. Etaples is a few miles from Le Touquet. She was so respected in Etaples that at every important occasion she rode alongside Monsieur le Marie. To cross busy roads with her was frightening. She waved a large white handkerchief and marched across causing the traffic to screech to a halt! She always wore the full costume of the Pas de Calais so was very recognisable. The pleated sunray hat is called “Chapeau de Soleil” (Hat of the Sun). Tante Céline had twenty one nieces but no children. She only allowed Françoise, one of the nieces and myself to be photographed wearing her costume. A great honour!
I admire Archbishop Justin Welby because he is such a modest man and I often find the things he says are thought provoking. Last week I heard him say that he prefers the word joy to the word happiness.
Did you realise that we usually say “Happy Birthday”, “Happy Christmas” and “Happy Easter”? Not so in French where it’s “Bon Anniversaire” and “Bon Noёl” using the word for good. Easter must please the Archbishop because there we wish each other “Joyeuse Pâques” (have a joyful Easter).
Actually I prefer “happy” to “merry” as an adjective. You can be merry when your heart is breaking!
So, I wish you all a very Joyful Easter and a beautiful April (one of my favourite months)
Esmé
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