One of my favorite Southern expressions is ‘Dang, these collards are fabulous. Can I have some more?” But 500+ words on some weird green would be tough, particularly with one’s mouth full.
Another great Southern expression is “I Appreciate You”. I don’t use it much, but whenever I hear it I always think what a great sentiment it is. It conveys an awful lot of good thoughts – without being too committal – and covers varying situations and personal interactions.
I also notice young people saying “I love you” to their friends, which I think is better saved for family, but is still a pretty nice thing to hear, and reaffirming to say.
Myself, I’m a practitioner of ‘Thank You’, and try and use it as much as possible. (A quick aside: A woman who helped Hollywood types with the stairs on their way to present at the Academy Awards, said the only star who ever said Thank You was John Candy, which made me like him even more). I try to say Thank You frequently: to those who bring me my menu, who forget to bring me my menu, who forget my fries in the to-go order – you get the picture, thank you very much. I even say it to the waiter that reads me a beer list that doesn’t include an IPA (OMR#34). It may be overkill, but it is certainly better than roadkill. Which leads to another great Southern expression: “Grab the possum, there’s a car coming”.
We’re now in that moment where you might be saying: “Jim, all that is true but not all that interesting. What’s the point?”
The point is self enthusiasm. Self love. Self appreciation. However you name it.
I fear the country is suffering from a self enthusiasm/appreciation crisis, only made worse by C19 isolation. How it originates I don’t know; it feels pattern-less, occurring in all sorts of folks, including lots of accomplished people, making you wonder what they’re missing about themselves. Or why they don’t appreciate themselves more. And it can only get worse as cold weather returns, along with those nasty sweat pants we were all wearing.
It just feels like we could use a collective shot in the arm.
In that spirit, as we head to Christmas season – a really odd Christmas that likely won’t feature typical family gatherings (I saw a news report about a family who had all contracted C19, just for considering having a Holiday gathering) – I have a suggestion.
Years ago our family Christmas assignment was to write a personal note to each family member describing what you like and/or admire about them. How long, short, detailed, was up to the writer. There was no public reveal, as recipients read them in privacy later.
My family may disagree (check the comments section), but for me it was a great experience. My notes are saved in my top dresser drawer, and I pull them out to re-read from time to time. It can provide a much needed lift to be reminded that we are special and loved.
They are a living, written surrogate for the reminder that “If you have a loved one whom you haven’t told you loved lately, say it now. Always say it now”. Tis’ the season after all.
Thank you for your time and attention. I appreciate you.
I still have my notes saved as well 🙂 I appreciate you Dad!