Lingo

My daughters and I went to the library yesterday.  I always do this with a little trepidation.   I’m not worried about the content of the books.   I can filter for my kids until they are old enough to discern for themselves.   Frankly I worry much more about the filters on our electronic devices.  

I love the library.  One of my happiest mom moments was when my eldest got her own library card.  (Read here).  My youngest is getting close to the requirement of writing her own name. Her big day is coming. 

So it’s not lack of love for the library that concerns me.   I’m worried I’ll lose or damage the books I take home.   I have life management problems.   By the grace of God we have been able to go through some big deal parts of life. But goodness do the details fly crazy.  

One time I lost a library book.  Searched like crazy.   Paid for said book.  Found book under my car seat.   Apparently I lost that one on the way home. 

It. Never. Even. Made. The. House.

 I’ve dropped them in the tub. Ripped pages.   Spilled coffee.  Actually technically I didn’t spill the coffee….

Anyway.  We went to the library.  

Daughter one checked out a couple of books on the Battle for the Books list. She’s trying to get ahead for next year’s contest.  

 Daughter two checked out a new book by Henkes called “Waiting”.   It’s gorgeous.  She also checked out a chapter book with no pictures.  I’m not totally sure why since she can’t read but she’s been carrying it around all day making her cousin and sister and auntie and I listen to what it says.  Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she can read.  She runs her finger through the pages looking for the letters she knows.

And I brought home the best book ever.  I am such a nerd that I got a third of the way through it, decided I must own it and bought a copy for my Kindle.   

My new book is called Lingo by Gaston Dorren.  Around Europe in sixty languages.  Told you I was a nerd.

My grandfather was a linguist.  The love of the written word must have a genetic marker because this book about languages and words and the wisdom and why of what we say and what we write is making me grin.    

Each chapter ends with a word that the author believes we should adopt into English.   These are my favorites so far:  

Omenie: A Romanian word for the virtue of being fully human, that is: gentle, decent, respectful, hospitable, honest and polite.    

I love this.  Someone should name their daughter this. I want this word in my obituary someday. I hope my life earns it. 

Goennen:  German for the exact opposite of ‘to envy’: to be gladdened by someone else’s fortune.   

I want this word!  We need this word!

And my favorite: 

Jolabokafloo:  Icelandic.  Christmas book flood.  

This happens at my house. The Christmas morning joy of a stack of books.  Fun and fun and fun. English apparently needs more versions of the letter O as well. 

So I wrote this blog mostly to tell my mom and sister and aunts and uncles and cousins on my mother’s side that you may also love this book.   It’s speaking our language. Er. Languages.   Anyone else? 

Thinking about words tonight had me awake in the middle of the night last night pondering.   Do you know that I love how God is described in the Bible? The Alpha and Omega.  It’s the beginning and ending of the alphabet.  I’ve always been told it refers to God’s totality. 

And Jesus is called the living Word.  In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and was God.

 I love that it’s through language that God meets us and it’s through language that He made us. And it’s letters and words and sentences that I run my fingers through and underline and circle to try and understand my place.  I look for meaning just as my three year old does in her chapter book.    

 I love the library.  Hope I don’t lose any books this time.  Life and meaning wrapped in words.   I wish you a merry Jolabokafloo.