Thursday 21 June 2007

Sorry, Love, Hate and Want

I am struggling with the word Sorry ! We teach our children to say sorry when they do something wrong - to own up and apologise etc etc....but then comes "sorry" said after every conversation involving asking the children to do anything - even take their dishes out to the dishwasher ! "Sorry" is not what I want to hear then - it is action I want to see......sorry should be kept for occasions of remorse and learning - shouldn't it? Or kept for occasions when we are sorry 'about' something that perhaps touches us on the news or about our friends etc.

The word LOVE is also a struggle. Why is the English language so restrictive? I love chocolate and cosy nights in, I love my family, but when I say the words "I Love You" when I drop the children off to school after they have really upset me - LOVE means so much more than it sounds when it comes out of the mouth.

HATE such a strong word. Yet I have realised I use it so often....but in terms like, I hate Gallows Corner...will avoid it at every cost - as Dawn well knows! I hate listening to Charlie on Big Brother - she is driving me mad! I hear myself saying "hate" quite a lot recently and I 'hate' myself for it ! It is such a harsh word to form as you say it and even to hear it spoken...such a strong harsh word. But when I use it I don't really hate at all.....that sentiment is just not within me - I don't hate a thing really......what other word should I use I wonder ?

"I want never gets".....I was brought up with this phrase....now I can't even use that phrase to express what I do really want. I end up using words like "I should" "I ought" "I better" "they expect"....I was asked by a professional Life Coach two weeks ago "What do you want ? Use the phrase I want to...." I couldn't bring myself to even utter those words! Something else for me to work on then!

Perhaps I should start speaking in Swahilli again - perhaps would express myself better :-)

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Ooh! I like the pink car!

Plus - just realised that I said sorry three times in the email I just sent you! Sorry! (oops!)

I don't like the word hate either. You are right, it is a horrible sounding word. Yet there are some things I hate - not just dislike, but hate. For instance, I hate the way the devil plays with minds and uses temptations to try to drag us away from God.

Liz said...

There's a lady down our road with one of those cars in that VERY colour and as I walk past it I touch it - wierd I know, but they are LOVELY!

Words - I use too many too often and don't listen enough!

Jenny said...

When I ask children to say sorry at school I always make them say what they are saying sorry for eg I am sorry I pushed you or I am sorry I shouted etc. I think it's important for children to know WHY they are saying sorry otherwise it just becomes 'the thing to say'.We also talk about what saying sorry means...that I will try not to do it again because I have hurt someone...a lesson for us all!!!

Anonymous said...

but sometimes 'sorry' insn't enough, or is that just because it is used so often its meaning has become weaker?!!

Ann said...

I guess Sarah, that sorry has to be followed by a change of action or attitude....actions speak louder than words maybe ?

Becks said...

sorry to go off the point, but i think you should start speaking swahili again anyway- cos it would be so cool!!!! (sorry i spelt it wrong!)

Ann said...

Would love to Becks, but would have to pray hard for gift of tongues as seem to have forgotten most of it...having said that every now and again I blurt out a phrase or a response which is quite funny !