FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Bonjour, Kristi,
Your long list of farewells triggered a memory of a popular song from my youth called, “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” with lyrics like, “hop on the bus, Gus”, etc. I like the French farewells
much, much better, however, the final photo of an almond blossom seems like the absolute best way to part with friends because it calls to mind the flowering of friendships. Amitiés, Joanne

I noticed your phrase, "to not let somebody out of your site." Now, it COULD be correct if you had kidnapped them, site being a physical location. On the other hand, sight may also be appropos, if you can't bear to see them leave!

Very enjoyable post! Thanks, Kristi!

I'm sure whatever you choose it's chosen with a lot of care and love. I usually sign off with "Warmly" or if it's someone I know super well I use "Hugs" and sometimes it's just "Maggie" and then I draw a little heart next to it. I rarely have use for business correspondence, but if I do then I just use the standard "Sincerely."

Warmly,
Maggie

I guess 'abientot' is what I was taught in French class years ago. 'Tchao' reminds me so much of a German greeting my daughter taught me, we use it everywhere when I visit her, 'Tschuss'. It's the same meaning, bye, or bye bye. Informal but friendly.

I have always preferred à la prochaine. To me it sounds so friendly but not too intimate.

Yes, I always end mine with Abraazos,(Hugs)
which is the norm here in Boquete,Panama.

Same spelling in Portguese

When we lived in Germany, stchüss was my family’s favorite way to say good bye!

Une semelle, is that a fish, a sole? It is an idiomatic phrase then, ne pas quitter d'une semelle.

How about, "Que Dieu te bénisse" ? Heaven knows, we live in a world where some extra blessings would do anyone good!!
God bless!! 🙏😇

Your challenges in life, big and small, reflect our own. I think that's why so many readers view you as a loving sister. I'm in a quandary as to how to end correspondence in both languages when it's someone who is not particularly close. In English I like "All the best." And now I've increased my French repertoire, thanks to you. Lots of choices. Thank you so much, Kristi. Hugs!

Thank you Kristi.

Your posts are warm, sunny, uplifting, endearing and engaging; and not least, never boring. They are relaxing and de-stressing; like sitting down on the charming, comfy garden terrace or veranda of one's home before a beautiful and beloved view, to a, or many lovely, leisurely, refreshing cups of tea served with cheery, uncharted chit chat, conversation and chuckles with a dear, dear friend and sister. I notice and appreciate and salute your gift to communicate as effectively and as evocatively as you do, and, the effort and time and attention to detail (inconsequential and hardly ever more than one or two negligible and usually quirky typos notwithstanding) all the little touches you put in.

I have never commented before but had to on seeing Theresa's post and your lovely reply. Thank you to Theresa. And, of course, as I hope I have already communicated in so many words, many, many thanks and a big, warm hug and blowing kisses on the wind to you.

Re today's post, I have to say that after a word or topic or event such as quitter in one's life, Sally S.'s contribution is the best end ever and/or best word or greeting (and a promise or vow) to hear and to receive from a loved one: "Toujours."

Qué le Bon Dieu te benisse de plus en plus.

Dear Kristi, I saw your heartfelt post in reply to my initial post above, thanking me and letting me know how deeply moved not only you but also your mom have been by it; even to your dear mom requesting you to have it framed for her as her gift for Mother's Day. I have been trying since then to find the words capable of carrying what I have felt within me, the words capable of carrying what this extraordinary, unimaginable great honour means to me. I do not yet speak of the next step of communicating, of expressing; just, first, to find the words that could, to start with, carry the weight, the depth, the heights of the impact and meaning of you and your mom's precious words of gratitude and singular act of honour, has been a feat beyond the scope of any earthly words I can find. The thought, the picture, the very fact of my words, my thoughts, my heart,framed, set, with tenderest care placed in position on its wall, in its place of honour, in a home, in a place, in a country, miles away, and regarded tenderly and cherished daily, and giving encouragement, hope, strength, cheer to the eyes that gaze upon them and the hearts that feed on them: how could I possibly find the words to describe this indescribable honour it has pleased the Almighty God to use you to do me?

I strive and strove and the days passed, and became weeks, and I set myself the deadline of Mother's Day and it came and I was still speechless. I set myself the deadline of the other Mother's Day, since they aren't the same in the US, UK and Europe, and that came too and I was still wrestling.

I tried to think of what gift I could send, to you, and most especially to your mom, that would express what I wanted to say but I couldn't.

Instead, I did and have been doing, and by His grace will continue to do, probably the very best thing I can do and give the VERY, VERY BEST gift I can give i.e. I have been praying for you, praying for your mom, for Jules, praying for you and Jean-Marc and your entire family.

I guess I should not forget to also mention that not very long after reading your reply to my post, perhaps a day or two, or more, I came across another of your posts where, with the brave vulnerability of your usual honesty, openness, and realness, you had shared how on your morning walk, on seeing from afar someone whom you really did not wish to see - for reasons which you chose not to share, as is, of course,your prerogative - you chose to quickly turn away and walk away in the other direction. In the comments section, I saw that at least a couple of people were 'preaching' to you that you ought not to have done that and that whatever had happened between you and the person, you must go and make things up and become friends again. All I can say is that some of the the depth and weight of what I was still trying to find a way, the words to express in gratitude to you and your mom, powered the fierceness (and not least length) of my own comment, most stoutly, in your defense. You probably have not seen it, that second post of mine on your blog, yet but it's there. I don't remember the title but it's the one where you, having taken A NEW DIRECTION, you saw A NEW THING, bird tracks and patterns in the sand on the beach, which photo you generously shared with us. If you had not turned away from that person, who for whatever reason and in whatever way brought something toxic,or would have introduced in whatever form, negativity into your morning, you would never have made those beautiful discoveries you did that morning; which I pointed out in my post but let me not reproduce it all in its indignant length here. 🤯🤭

I did not know when I went to sleep last night, that today would be the day I would finally write this, finally respond to your reply to say thank you with my own thank you for you and your mom's thank you and honour. I had fretted practically every day since I saw your reply and I think I saw it within twenty-four hours of your posting it and that was I think, no more than three days after I had posted mine. I did not know, yesterday, that today would be the day. Yesterday, however, I remembered the fierce protectiveness, the power of the emotions that had welled up from within me, how I had risen up and raged, with fingers and keyboard, and graven my defense of you, across the page. Whilst yet, I lay speechless, in shock, without words, in a depth of emotions beyond years, moved and touched to a place, to a degree beyond words. Suddenly, the realisation came to me, how some people, mostly men, I think but how sometimes, we, or certain persons in our lives, may love us deeply, may be moved, may hold us in a regard beyond what we can imagine, may hold us more precious, more cherished, may value us higher, more dear, more weighty - us, and/or our actions - than we know, than we have guessed, than we think BECAUSE they never, or hardly ever, say so. They don't tell us. With words. Or, when they manage, once in a rainbow moon (I mean, if a blue one is rare ...) to do so, their words are hopelessly inadequate or awkward. Or, they tell others. About us. What we, and/or actions mean to them. They tell others. Or someone else. About us. Eloquently. But to us they may not ever speak their heart. At least, not with words. But they are speaking their heart to us all the time with their actions.

Despite the length of this post, do not think for one minute that I have finally found the words satisfactory and worthy to express how your mom's request and your action (oh, I just I remembered I haven't mentioned that even though I'm writing about it and in response to it, I didn't see your reply on the page after my comment as it was before; what have you done with it?) has fed, watered, brightly illuminated my soul, spirit and entire being. Far from it. I will, therefore,leave it to The One to Whom I prayed to give me the words to express to you my gratitude for your posts and just how much they uplift me, cheer me, how much I appreciate the sincerity and genuineness and generosity and kindness and positivity and tender strength of your spirit; and He gave me the Words; and with an impact and results, with fruit that I never could have imagined; it is to Him, it is to The One Whom I am so privileged to call "DAD", it is to the Almighty God, dear Kristi and precious, precious, precious Mama Jules, that I cede place to finish what He started.

God BLESS, BLESS, and then, BLESS you and your family.

In JESUS' Name.

AMEN.

A lot is always two words. Allot means a certain amount to have or share. "a lot" doesn't exist. As a high school English teacher it was always a tough explanation. I'm sure you can absorb it easily! Bonne weekend!