When I despair, I remember that throughout all of history, the way of truth and love have always won. (Gandhi)
You can say any foolish thing to a dog and he’ll give you a look that says, “Wow, you’re right! I would never have thought of that!” (Dave Barry)
OKAY is my dog DaffyDoodle’s favorite word. To her, it seems to mean that not only has she “done good”, but that something wonderful, delightful, novel, stimulating, fun, and probably involving treats or toys is about to occur. Oh, to have a word that filled me with such joy.
Her enthusiasm this morning as I invited her back into the house after a frigid early morning pee break got me wondering where the word okay, a strange little sound when you stop to think of it, came from. According to the History Channel, it is probably an abbreviation or orl korrect, a humorous form for all correct, popularized as a slogan during the 1840 presidential campaign of President Van Buren; his nickname Old Kinderhook, (derived from his birthplace), provided the initials. Such an innocuous beginning for a word that has become so iconic during the last 200 years, and not just for the English-speaking world.
When the world as you’ve known it has ended, and someone holds you close and murmurs, “It’ll be okay”, and even though you know it won’t, it somehow helps. Things might not be good, excellent, outstanding, or even satisfactory, but somehow, someway, okay reassures us.
Incumbent President Van Buren, by the way, lost that 1840 election to William Henry Harrison, 60 electoral votes to 234. But it was all okay. In fact, he, the loser Van Buren, even started it being okay.
The gift of life. No matter what it is bringing you, it will change. And at this moment, it is what it is. And we go on. We somehow cope. And in that there can be enormous peace.
Okay.
