Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’ll be using manicules (those pointing finger symbols) to direct your attention to something I’m pondering that delights or interests me. Each entry is somehow related to an unusual, obscure, or simply charming to me word.
I is for…
idoneous – [ ahy-doh-nee-uhs ] – (adj) appropriate; fit; suitable; apt. From the Latin, entered English in early 17th century.
While I’m not entirely sure why this archaic word delights me so much, it feels like so many conversations I’ve been having lately have somehow involved this concept. So many folks are finding their footing with change, it feels like we’re all in this energetic mixing bowl being tossed all around. Armed with exquisite self-care, extra doses of compassion, and a readiness to pay attention, I think we’ll come out of this adventure changed, hopefully in some extraordinarily wonderful ways.
I always think some of the most exciting changes are those where we become clarified – more pure, true versions of ourselves. Like the extraneous bits have fallen away, leaving us not less, but rather more intensely us. And those pieces we expand into are such heart delights that they fit us like a missing piece of the puzzle.
There’s a quote from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin that I’ve been musing about, turning it over and over again, digging deeply into it and pondering:
“Every person, in the course of his life, must build – starting with the natural territory of his own self – a work, an opus, into which something enters from all the elements of the earth. He makes his own soul throughout all his earthly days: and at the same time he collaborates in another work, in another opus, which infinitely transcends, while at the same time it narrowly determines, the perspectives of his individual achievement: the completing of the world.”
Somehow that feels so apropos right now. Don’t you feel caught in the magic of becoming more you, and at the same time called to contribute more to the world – and knowing the paradox that they’re really the same?
As I was musing about this recently and pulling a book from my enormous to-be-read pile, buried between books I found a card sent to me several years ago, after I “discovered” that there was a day celebrated as my name day. I had sort of remembered hearing about name days as child, and vaguely associated it with a Catholic practice of those being named after a saint celebrating a feast day of their particular namesake. But actually I found the tradition is observed in many countries and not necessarily connected to a religious observation. I found it charming to think that there’s a day celebrating all the Deborahs in the world.
Undoubtedly if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll know as I’ve mentioned it a million times because it delights me so much – Deborah means bee.
It also delights me that my first and last name anagrams into things I love. I am “Wore Herb Bead” – and I can attest to that fact. I love making herbal beads and wearing them. I am also “Adore Herb Web.” Yes I do. I think of the botanical world as a beautiful web of flowers and herbs and trees and all manner of magic, and I love it all. And finally I am “Hoard Bee Brew.” It’s true I love honey – I only hoard it in the sense I love having it around. I’m happy to share. But I also like thinking of this moniker as an admonition to be mellifluous, which has as one of its original definitions “filled with something that sweetens.” I’d like my life’s contribution to be that.
It’s a perfect day to muse about who am I? And my new favorite question – who am I becoming?
What about you? Do you like your name? Does it feel idoneous? Ever anagram it and delight at the results? Muse about who you are becoming? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
Hari OM
Ah, our posts Intersect, heh-na?! Ever-growing to become our better selves is to be lauded and encouraged… on an entirely different tack, did you see the news that honey is being researched for use in the building of computer chip technology? It has been discovered that honey molecules can carry messages. (And have you noticed how science ‘discovers’ stuff – to great amazement and gasps of awe – that has been understood for centuries by the Wise Ones?!!) YAM xx
I=Introspection
I enjoyed seeing our post connections today. I hadn’t seen the research news, but it does make me smile. And now maybe science will get behind banning the chemicals that so clearly endanger the bees. That would be fabulous news indeed.
I do love my name although I didn’t growing up. I was the only Margaret around; most of my friends were Debbies, Kathys, Karens and Dianes. Now of course I’m plenty old enough to be a Margaret. The pandemic has changed me in ways both positive and negative.
It’s nice to feel comfortably settled into your name. The pandemic has certainly proven to be a testing ground, both individual and collective.
I like that passage about completing the world. It puts individual contributions to society into perspective. 🙂
It does, doesn’t it? And perspective is always a good thing.
I must confess, I didn’t know this word until now. Thank you!!!
A day with your name… That’s cool actually!
See you around the A-Z challenge!
Hope you stop by my blog https://momandideas.com/
I’m always delighted to learn a new word. I actually have been by your blog a couple of times, but I’ll certainly be returning again. Hope you’re enjoying the challenge as much as I am.
My name is a combination of my parents’ names. My father was named after the town he was born in and where his father was stationmaster. Recently I found the father I grew up with wasn’t my biological father. Did he know? Was I given his name (Linden) to bind me to him in some way? If I had been named after my bio father I might have been Bertha so I think my name is a good fit.
Linda
Ah, the mysteries that remain unknowable. My grandmother’s name was Bertha, and although it means “bright” she didn’t like it either.
You know Deborah, I have this feeling that I’ve just licked a spoonful of delicious honey and that my tongue is still reading its love messages (read Yamini’s comment too)–it’s tingling with joy actually– that is the feeling I have in me as I read your post.
My name, as I may have mentioned, means praying/ act of praying and I do like what it means:)
“…my tongue is still reading its love messages” – seriously Arti, this is such a fabulous image. I will never taste honey again without thinking of it.
Your name’s meaning is beautiful (as is your name itself) – and seems perfect to me.
Cool way to decipher ur name…wonderful meanings too. One must love their name as much as u do. A sign of self love i feel. Never analysed my name much but i kno it means brightness!
Dropping by from a to z http://afshan-shaik.blogspot.com/
How lovely Afshan. Brightness is a beautiful thing to lean into and carry.
I have both hated and loved my name. Weirdly, since my mom died, loving my name is a way that I honor her, since she gave it to me.
Idoneous is a wonderful word and completely new to me. Thank you for introducing me to it.
What a beautiful thing Joy – such a lovely way to hold it!
I have also kind of hated my name, as so few other shared it. Until I learned of an actress who shares it–see my post today.
Idoneous is a totally new word to me as well.
I read your post, and am glad you found another Jamie. Being an outlier as a kid can be challenging. It’s funny though how the popularity of names continually shifts. My brother came across an article that ranked names by popularity, and ever since then we refer to each other by our ranked numbers. I find it hilarious – it our secred agent code.
Now I had to go and see what anagrams would come out of my name! I haven’t found a good one yet, but it’ll take time to comb through all 5000 of them… fun! 😀
The Multicolored Diary
LOL – I have no doubt there will be a treasure or two there.