Old English Word for Worry Made Me Take Notice. Whoa!

Posted by Barbara Techel

I can’t remember now where I heard this. But I was listening to either a YouTube channel or a podcast when I heard the speaker say that the old English word for worry is to strangle.

Whoa! That made me sit up and take notice. You too?

How many of us are strangling ourselves on a daily basis? And not to mention several times a day?!

This from Merriam Webster:

to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping especially at the throat; to shake or pull at with the teeth; to touch or disturb something repeatedly; to change the position of or adjust by repeated pushing or hauling; to assail with rough or aggressive attack or treatment; to subject to persistent or nagging attention or effort.
 
Then these are the words that are near the entry of the word worry: worm, wormhole, wormwood, worn, worrisome, worry wart, worse, worsen, worse, and worship.
 

Now I was down the rabbit hole of linking this all together. A good rabbit hole because this type of falling into the abyss is often welcome to help me deepen my understanding of self and shadow and to create a satisfying shift in my psyche.

Worm and wormhole made me think of dark and damp. Though it also made me think of earth and grounding and how good I feel when I’m out in nature connecting with the earth and how it calms and centers me.

But worry can be a dark place and a never-ending tunnel we spiral down into and then get trapped there.

Wart I associated with ugly. It isn’t pretty when we worry. Though we may not see it ourselves at first, it wears us down spiritually and then physically. We carry ourselves differently when we worry. We miss out on the beauty around us when we worry.

The more we worry, the worse it gets, and the more it can feel like we are being strangled. 

But then the word worship being around in the same area as worry caught my attention too.

Worship can often get associated with religion or vanity. But what if we could look at worship in a different way in relation to worry?

What if we could worship – appreciate and love ourselves – not in a vain way – but in gratitude for being a part of this vast and awe-inspiring universe? What if we could truly understand that all that happens in our lives happens for us and not to us? That each situation or challenge is a gift?

This from Merriam Webster and the definition of worship:

to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power; to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.
 
If we could strive to be in this space more often, we wouldn’t be in this place of strangling ourselves with worry, but rather understand that on a grand scale everything has a purpose. That in the end, there really was nothing to worry about.
 
So next time I find myself beginning to worry I want to remember the old English definition because it certainly does not feel good to strangle oneself!
 
XO
 
Barb
 

 

 

 

 

 

Critter Sightings Outside Joyful Pause Cottage

Posted by Barbara Techel

We have a plethora of what seems like extra bird activity this year. From hummingbirds to wrens nesting, red-bellied woodpeckers and thrashers at the suet feeder often, house finches and orioles – and the occasional thrasher – enjoying the grape jelly and sweet yellow finches hanging from the thistle seed feeder.

Last evening while John and I sat around the chiminea we were treated to this hummingbird who came back time and time again to sit a spell on this dead branch of the locust tree. We had planned to cut it down. But now, well, we just don’t have the heart to. Hummingbird just seems so content. Besides the fact, we’ve received so much joy being in the presence of this, my all-time favorite bird.

Then there are the wrens. I could watch them for hours and hours on end. Two years ago John surprised me with two wren houses he built for me. We placed them on the east side of Joyful Pause Cottage about ten feet apart. One of the houses is just outside the Victorian screen door and I am treated to their song all day long.

They are quite the busy little ones also when building their nest. I read that the male is the one who begins building the nest but then goes out looking for a mate. Once he finds one, she takes over with the nest building, while the male stands guard. That’s exactly what I’ve watched the last few days as a flurry of activity has been taking place! I purposely moved the vanity in my bedroom a few weeks ago facing it in front of the patio doors, just so I could watch all the birds while I get ready in the morning. Who needs a TV!

This morning a chipmunk was perusing the deck and the wrens weren’t happy about that. They took to hopping on his back and causing quite the ruckus to shoo him away. I’ve had challenges with chipmunks digging in my pots in the past, but so far this year that hasn’t happened. Perhaps the wrens are just the thing to keep them away.

Speaking of chipmunks, this little guy sure looked like he was up to no good…

And sure enough…

In he went. The hard part about him going inside this birdhouse is that I had watched just last week as wrens were in and out of this space too. I’m not sure if there were any eggs inside yet and chipmunks have been known to eat an occasional bird egg. While I hate to think about this, it is the cycle of life, and the chipmunks need to eat too.

And could he be any cuter peeking out that hole?

There’s always something to see here at Joyful Pause Cottage…and each critter is a gift and a reminder of all that you can be witness to when you just slow down and look around.

I hope you are enjoying a beautiful Memorial Day weekend wherever you are.

XO

Barb

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