APRICITY

This is a word that I was not familiar with until a couple of weeks ago. I was invited to spend a few days in the Bahamas on a boat (okay, fine, it was a full blown yacht) and a beautiful one for certain! The boat parked next door was named something easy to understand, like Catching Rays. Cute, but not thought provoking. The owners and my kick-ass hosts named their boat Apricity. Simple and thought provoking. I loved it.

Not knowing what that meant, I assumed it was some type of marine lingo that I would figure out during my stay. Finally, I asked for the meaning behind the name. I loved the answer. It means the warmth of the sun in winter. Apparently an old word that’s fallen out of usage but I think we should revive it. It’s got a nice ring to it and I think it is a concept we can apply in our day to day lives. A day later, I couldn’t get the word out of my head. Shouldn’t we all be Apricity. Warmth in the cold, sunshine in the rain, etc. I started looking for signs in people who may be experiencing winter. Not externally, it’s too damn hot in Houston to be chilly. But maybe an internal winter, that feels cold and in need of sunshine. Chances are, you interact everyday with someone in need of warmth. How can you be the sunshine? Bring them a cup of coffee, ask how they are doing (and stick around to hear the answer), give them a compliment or simply mail them a letter that explains why you are glad to know them. There are many choices and opportunities to be the Apricity. 

Set sail and shine on!

XX, MG

TEA IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD