Words from the Heart

  Last year, my word for the year was "visit."  Little did I know that 2020 was going to test my ability to re-imagine just what that meant! Shortly after the February first of 2020, I quarantined due to my age and the fact that both Roger and I have health issues that would be problematic if we were to contract COVID.   My last visit to anyone was with my daughters and grandchildren during February vacation.  The pictures I took then have kept me focused on the reason I am not traveling, not working outside the home and not meeting with people except outside and from a distance. For a people person, visiting with others is like air. We need it to live. So, I became adept at "visiting" via Zoom and talking to friends outside 6 feet or more away with masks on. I also found that visiting via snail mail was a joy I had almost forgotten. Letters to and from my grandchildren brought rays of sunshine for both Roger and I to bask in as the days got darker. In addition,...

Front door of a B and B in Ireland (c) 2014 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas What a surprise to have the random word picker give me the word "visit" for my 2020 word of the year just after I was thinking of our trip to Ireland back in 2014 and our dear friends who live there! Visit is something I enjoy doing. However, I have never really looked at the word - its meaning or origin. After all, it is one of those words that we use daily without thinking much about, right? First off, visit can be used as both a noun and a verb.  As a noun, it means: the act of visiting, or having a chat or talk.  As a verb, visit means: to go to and stay with (a person or family) or at (a place) for a short time for reasons of sociability, politeness, business, curiosity, etc.; to stay with as a guest; to make a visit; to talk or chat casually. The origins of the word are from the Latin " visitare " which means "to go to see."   As a teacher, minister and wri...