The other day I was thinking
about all the various poems, idioms, and even proverbs that help us remember
information or tell us something important.
Things such as:
“An apple a day
keeps the doctor away.”
“Red sky at night, sailors delight.
Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.”
Or how about:
“Thirty days has September,
April, June, and November,
all the rest have thirty-one.
February has twenty-eight,
but leap year coming one in four
February then
has one day more.”
How many of you can only
remember the first few lines of that one? I’m raising my hand. I knew there was
more to the poem, but I could never remember it.
There are a lot of sayings like
this which we use to convey ideas and information, so it won’t be forgotten. Others
include:
“It’s better to
be safe than sorry.”
“Better late
than never.”
“Actions speak
louder than words.”
“You catch more
flies with honey than with vinegar.”
“Cleanliness is
next to Godliness.”
“The early bird
catches the worm.”
“Where there’s
a will, there’s a way.”
“If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it.”
Or my often quoted one:
“No
two people are exactly alike.”
Which kind of goes along with:
“Don’t judge a
book by its cover.”
While I was looking up such statements,
I also came across one that relays information, I’m just not sure if it’s true
information.
“Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child is full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go
Friday's child is loving and giving
Saturday's child works for its living
And a child that's born on the Sabbath day
Is fair and
wise and good and gay.”
I know for a fact three of the people
I know were born on Friday, and for a fourth person, it was easy to confirm.
All of them can be loving and giving, two of those are among the most loving
and giving people I know. Bonnie and I were born on Thursday. If far to go
means long life, we’re not there yet. If it means physical travel and moving, I
think we qualify.
I also know people born on
Monday, one of those on a holiday, and I’m not sure any of them are “fair of
face.” However, the people I know who were born on Saturday did “work for a
living.” And one thing I can say about the person born on Sunday is that she is
intelligent.
However, I cannot say the people
I know who were born on Tuesday are full of grace. At least they are certainly
not graceful. Is that the same thing?
So, what brought on this
contemplation?
I was thinking about two idioms
I learned as a kid.
One:
“In
like a lion, out like a lamb.”
And:
“April
showers bring May flowers.”
Why was I thinking about them?
Well, it’s March, and well March
doesn’t always come in like a lion. Though I have heard the opposite. “In like
a lamb, out like a lion.” But that’s not the common saying.
However, generally, April does
tend to have a lot of rainstorms. Rain means plants are watered. Well-watered plants
grow. So, showers in April do bring flowers in May.
What else brought on this line
of thinking on?
My soon be twenty-one, daily
reminder of all things neurodiverse, loveable, quirky, sweet, May Day baby boy.
He makes me laugh. Gives me things
to think about and often astounds me with his knowledge. He can also be
frustrating with his tenacious laziness and absolute refusal to admit he can
read.
I think his catchphrase should
be, “Why me, though?” Simply because he asks me this so often when I try to get
him to do something, you know, like chores.
My answer is often, “Because you
live here too.” And or, “Deal with it.” But sometimes it warrants more explanation,
such as, “You’re the tallest one in the house.”
He moans but eventually does
what I ask of him.
April is also Autism Awareness
month, though I think there is a campaign to change it to Neurodiverse
Awareness Month. I like that better so I’m using it.
So, that is what I’ve been
thinking about this past week while I’ve been struggling to keep up with my
homework and on top of all my obligations. (Admittedly only those for my family
members are being met. I can only do so much.)
What informative idioms,
proverbs, and poems do you know?
Smile. Make the day a brighter
day.
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