Comfort

Four very comfortable ducks resting by the side of the road as we passed on our bikes this morning …

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COMFORTABLE WORDS 

“. . . he spake and cheered his Table Round

With [. . .] comfortable words.”

— Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “The Idylls of the King”

            In my reading not long ago, I came across Tennyson’s phrase “comfortable words”, and I wondered if I should pay more attention to those kinds of words in the future. The word “comfort” derives from the Latin word for “strength”, suggesting that strong words, those that communicate with a gentle and loving kind of power, can also be the most comfortable ones. We say something is comfortable when it’s soothing and restful, and perhaps strong, straightforward words, clearly shared with love, can bring that kind of comfort to us. After all, sometimes just being in the presence of health-giving strength can cause us to rest in reassurance, knowing that not much can harm us with so much forthright spirit close by. Words that do their work in a caring but forceful way can reassure us, settle us down, and send us toward some faith that this world can be considerably more comfortable than painful.  

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A WEEK OF BARGAINS

This week there are super savings for everyone.
You can enjoy the comforting warmth of the sun
 
for no cost at all, and lighthearted joy can barge
through your days absolutely free of charge.
 
You can get kindness just by being kind
to others, and you will easily find
 
wonderful bargains in the department of peace
and patience. If you want to buy a piece
 
of the cake called contentment, just hold
out your hands, and you'll hear the word "Sold!"