a nickname
and instruments of peace
a nickname
We have a tradition on my mom’s side of the family where we personalize the aunt roles. So, instead of just 姨姨, I combined it with my name as 萍姨 / pingyee. Smol nephew can’t quite say it yet. Or so we thought. We realized only very recently that tedders has indeed been calling my name for months, but we just didn’t understand him. Because he pronounces it as bidet 🚽. I kid you not. I present to you Exhibit A:
[our singing of All Sufficient Merit was understandably distracted by iced milo🥤]
So if you ever hear a toddler squealing bidet!! bidet!! across the playground at East Coast Park, thas me 💁🏻♀️💩
a collab
I love it when friends (hi the christen 🤍) do creative things and ask me to join in on the fun! If you’d like to read what we wrote, we nerded out on the Hollow Knight soundtrack.
a quote
A friend (hi cheryl 🤍) sent me this tiny desk concert months ago that I only just watched (sorry cheryl 🤍). I love how much Stephen Schwartz clearly still adores the Wicked characters he gave voice to over twenty years ago. I like what he says about songwriting:
Tell the truth. And make it rhyme.
a book
I’m often curious why we are where we are (particularly in westernized societies). So my latest read is Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters. It’s fascinating. I found it to be intelligent and thoughtful journalism that abstains from the pitfalls of inflammatory headlines, and encourages much needed deeper conversation. (Not too dissimilar to my takeaways of the Witch Trials podcast.)
another book
Way less intense than the above. It's the second book in the Chronicles of Prydain series that a friend gifted me (hi zhen 🤍). Spoilers: my favorite character already died. But not before leaving some beautiful things to ponder:
I have marched in many a battle host, Adaon answered quietly, but I have also planted seeds and reaped the harvest with my own hands. And I have learned there is greater honor in a field well plowed than in a field steeped in blood.
a plant
Speaking of seeds. The garden of avos sprouts!
a prayer
for you and me as we go out into the pockets of our homes, neighborhoods, offices, and classrooms this week.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace—
where hate rules, let me bring love;
where malice, forgiveness;
where disputes, reconciliation;
where error, truth; where doubt, belief;
where despair, hope;
where darkness, light;
where sorrow, joy!O Master, let me strive more to comfort others than to be comforted—to understand others than to be understood;
To love others, more than to be loved!
For he who gives, receives;
He who forgets himself, finds;
He who forgives, receives forgiveness;
And dying, we rise again
To eternal life.Amen.
be well, friends!
love,
reb