My One Little Word - Finally!

        Tuesday Slice of Life is always fun at Two Writing Teachers with Stacey and Ruth

I’ve been fussing about with choosing my One Little Word and doing the class with Ali Edwards this year.  I started with a word last year and lasted until March without sharing with anyone, and although it was a good start, I really lost the momentum and just stopped.  

This year I have signed up for the class, but haven’t started anything because I have had several words running through my brain, unfortunately never stopping.  Until today.  I have been writing about my memoir class today and making plans for books I will use and lessons I will do because the class I am teaching begins next week.  And in the other part of my brain, I’m thinking about my Christmas week last week, and how empty the house seems with all the decorations put away except for the kitchen tree which I keep up until the twelfth day of Christmas.  And it is especially empty because my son, daughter-in-law and grandson Carter left yesterday for home, in Texas.  We haven’t seen Carter and Barb since July, and Nathan since September and we spent a little time just falling into our usual rhythm together.  They arrived Christmas Eve Day and soon we were back to the old visiting, discussing, elaborating, eating long meals together, and just having a good and comfortable time. 

       
   Thus I come to the word, “comfort”.  Being apart has taken some of our comfort together away.  Even with a long visit by phone, and most especially with a ten year old (by phone or e-mail), it’s hard to be comfortable.  I continue to struggle with the challenge.  I send a postcard each week that has been a good connection so far, but still, it isn't the same as being a few minutes away.  So, it was a wonderful week.  I got to make peanut butter toast for my grandson, and cuddle with him on his favorite couch, comfort!   We bought this small over-sized chair couch a few years ago and everyone seems to gravitate to it, especially Carter.  It was the first thing he did when arriving, jump to the couch and cuddle up with the fleece throw comforter.  

          Today, pondering the mornings when I was first up, and Carter arrived next, leaped to the couch and said “Good morning, Grandma”, I thought of comfort and all the other places of comfort, sometimes couches that I have enjoyed in my life.  My mother-in-law always lived in the house where my husband was born, a big old two story, and in her kitchen she had a couch, whose seats were much fought over at family gatherings. The kitchen was a great place to be at her house.  Comfort.  I also remember napping on her so-soft living room sofa in the late afternoons while she made cookies with the grandchildren, my children, and let their mother sleep.  Comfort.  There are other stories, but I will stop with the fact that each classroom in our school has one or more sofas, so sought after during quiet work times or SSR time.  Comfort. 

         So, with a little more research, I think I’ve found my word, and I think it might be the best gift I received for Christmas this year.  Comfort.