I love to talk and write and use a lot of words on a daily basis.  That is why I love the fact that when I looked up “verbose synonyms,” I found 29 of them in Thesaurus.com.  Isn’t that funny? I think so, and that is why I decided to write about them. 

Now, not all of these aforementioned synonyms are used to describe what I am talking about.   Nevertheless, I just like using lots of words to communicate, describe, write about, etc. So you see where this is going.  I adore words. That’s it, in a nutshell.

So, where does this lead me?  Well, I guess it’s just one of the ways I express myself. There are many other ways, such as facial expressions, body language, attitude and others.  But, I believe words are very powerful. Otherwise, propaganda would not have the ability to affect people’s thoughts and opinions.  And sometimes, many, different kinds of words are needed to fully drive a message home when needed in serious situations. 

A dear friend of mine once wrote these words to me in a letter:  “Sometimes words are all we have.” I think she meant that there are so many things to be expressed that require specific thoughts to be communicated.  This requires a vocabulary that is painstakingly extensive. But, with lots of thought and careful consideration, the best words can usually be found.

Blogging is indeed a great way to use this skill.  And learning this skill is a life-long quest. Finding just the right words to use in the many and varied kinds of situations in life is truly communication used to the full.

I hope that you aren’t finding this to be overly verbose.  Once I begin to write, the words just take over. So here we are at the end of a very verbose blog.  I hope my loquaciousness didn’t bother you too much. So I will conclude with brevity. Bye!

Since I have been sick in bed with a virus for over a week, I thought I should write about the blessing of good health.  There’s nothing like being sick to make you realize that good health is not something to be taken for granted.

My thoughts about this have reminded me that we should never take anything for granted.  But today I am extremely grateful for the good health I enjoy. So many people do not have this blessing.  I know that this virus will pass, unlike a great deal of other people who have a congenital disease, or a family history of serious illnesses.

It makes me wonder why I have been blessed in this way.  I didn’t do anything to deserve it, just as people with poor health did nothing to deserve their condition.  I guess we can add this to all the mysteries of this world in which we live.

So, I think that this is the perfect time to be grateful for all the good in my life.  There are so many good things that I don’t know where to begin. In fact, being sick can be a blessing too.It reminds me of the good health I enjoy most of the time.  And now, I can see all the reasons to be thankful standing in a row waiting to be counted.

I have family, and friends, people who love me whether I deserve it or not.  I have the ability to write and sing music and share it with people who appreciate it and me.  I can make people laugh, and that is the best thing of all. I have been blessed in so many ways.

So, as I sit here, feeling poorly for today, I know that I will get over this and be well again.  This is just a bump in the road, so to speak. It’s just a bump in a fairly smooth road that is my life.

Last week I had an epiphany, a revelation.  It was just a regular, ordinary day, but all of a sudden I felt different.  All of a sudden, I felt a sense of calm and peace. I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed just minutes before this.  In fact, I had been thinking very negatively as of late. It was a moment of grace that suddenly appeared in my life and it gave me a feeling of contentment.

Since it happened, I have been waiting for it to wane, as many feelings do, but I still feel it’s presence.  It may not be as profound as that first moment, but it is there. It is real and I feel gratitude for this grace I have been given.  Things that I have carried around for a very long time, have begun to loosen their grip on me.

Everyone has these things in their lives that are sad or difficult moments that can nag at a person and take joy out of times in our lives.  They may not have anything to do with what one has done, but can be tragic nonetheless. These moments can reside in the recesses of our minds and pop up when one least expects it.

But this intense feeling has never happened to me before and I am walking around with a sense of gratitude for tiny, little things.  It’s not like I have never felt this grace before in my life. But this is different. This time it feels as if it will last, and not be fleeting.  I feel like I have been given a gift. And I have been given this gift.  And I feel as if I can keep this grace inside me and share it with others.  I don’t know if this is possible, but right now I believe it.

I have been given the gift of feeling gratitude.  And I intend to keep this gift in my heart. Grace has entered my heart and mind.  And I pray that I will have the strength to keep it safe and share it with other people.  It is a gift from God, therefore it is meant to be shared with others. And with God’s help, it will be possible.  Let it happen. Let it be so.

Has anyone ever said to you, “Go for it?”  Not as a question, as that first sentence reads, but as an exclamation!  Go for it! Now, you can feel one of two ways about this. You can be invigorated and energized, or perhaps feel pressure if you are not ready for that kind of encouragement.  Perspective is everything when it comes to situations like this one.

Reading another person’s reaction in both facial expression and body language will tell a lot about how that person feels about it.  I think the most important thing to do is try to read how another person might be feeling before saying those three words.

I find it so interesting and quite educational to observe and study behavior.  If one wants to understand where a person is coming from, then it behooves that person to be aware of the signals.  Like I just pointed out, facial expressions and body language speak volumes. But, there are others.  If one knows the person, even small differences in the way they usually react will tell you something.

With strangers, it is quite a different story.  Unless it is very obvious that the person wants encouragement, I wouldn’t say it.  It can backfire and make each of you feel bad. Just look for the ones you can read easily.  Then you will probably be doing a good thing for someone.

The reason I decided to write about this, is that those words have encouraged me.  But I am very aware of the other reactions as I have felt a lack of confidence at different times in my life.

It can be embarrassing if one is not up to the challenge that presents itself.  I guess all a person can do, is to always be aware of the physical signs seen on another’s face and body.  It is a good communication skill for all of us to have.

I think that smiling has been a frequent topic of my posts over the past four plus years.  The reason must have to do with the fact that I find myself smiling a lot. It’s a good thing too, because it impacts my life significantly in a positive way.  Babies, people walking their dogs, kids playing in a park are just a fraction of the things I find myself smiling at. Whenever I am driving, even if the traffic is mean-spirited, if one can catch another person in a smile in the midst of things, it can help prevent being drawn into the negativity.  Smiles versus frowns are one thing. But anger is a tougher nut to crack. A smile from another person can help to counteract the tension one feels in that kind of traffic.

Sometimes I force myself to smile, because it has a positive effect even if a person doesn’t mean it at first.  After doing it for a few seconds it can even cause me to laugh at myself. A smile is only a step or two from a full-throated laugh, if you are open to such things.

Occasionally, smiling can cause another person to react angrily if they are just irritated enough about something to think you may be laughing at them.  I never am. But this has only happened rarely with me and it isn’t going to stop me from doing my thing. Most of the time though, smiling causes another person to smile back, because quite frankly, smiles are contagious.  

One thing I have learned is that good intentions are felt by others.  And if a facial expression can show those intentions, it is worth doing.  Little things often have big impacts. Kindness is a radical act. Smiling can be one way of showing it.  If you are not prone to such an action, you may consider giving it a try. You never know. You just might like it.