My oldest son recently graduated from Mesa University in Colorado. That alone is noteworthy, although not the point of this article. I flew in and out of Denver for the event and thus had the opportunity to do a little visiting before I came back to our beloved Lake Pointe Inn.
Don’t Die!
In catching up with some dear friends, they told me how their daughter-in-law was trying to teach their grandson to impart polite expressions as friends and relatives arrived and departed from their presence. I suppose as adults we take these types of greetings and acknowledgments for granted, but to a four-year old boy this concept was a bit confusing. So, upon the grandparents’ first departure, the precocious young man passionately blurted out “Don’t die!”
He had likely heard the adults say “safe travels” or “be well” or “see you soon.” In his no-nonsense, four-year-old mind, the essence of what we really mean in our departing phraseology is that we want to see that person again in the future, so we would prefer they “don’t die.”
Have Good Bacon
While trying to acknowledge the young lad’s efforts in good etiquette but still school him in word appropriateness, his mother explained that he might want to issue a departing gesture of something nice, like “have a good day” or even just “good night.”
The next opportunity he had to practice his parting comments with his grandparents, he enthusiastically blurted out, “Have good bacon!”
As bacon was his favorite food, he could think of no greater blessing than for someone to experience “good bacon” throughout their day.
What We Really Mean
I thought this was absolutely precious and I started thinking about how often we say things that have a much deeper meaning than are reflected in the clichés of life.
As you depart the inn, we may tell you “safe travels” and “come back soon,” but we really mean “don’t die” and “may your lives be blessed with your favorite things (bacon?) until we see you again.”
Thus I’ve stolen this wonderfully genuine youngster’s parting phrase.
Until we meet again:
Don’t die and have good bacon.
Hug.
lenina
