Success means _________.

Fun means _________.

Retard means _________.

Love means _________.

Value means _________.

Boring means _________.

Sporky means _________.

Go on, fill in the blanks. You can do it.

Done?

Bet your answers don't match mine.

*********************************************************************

Frequently when the topic of my college educations comes up, I hear comments like, "Wow, you sure aren't using THAT!" or "Whatever did you plan to do with that?" or "Seriously? That's a real major?"

Apparently having a degree in Spanish Translation doesn't seem all that valuable in the world of a working mom involved with corporate training. On the surface, it's not. I don't translate anything in my work. I don't even own a Spanish dictionary right now.

However, there is one major lesson of translation that I use every single day of my life.

The meaning of words is in people, not in words.

Think about it. All those words above? Have different connotations for different people. Your life experiences shape how you interpret a word. For example, some people would say that success means being good at what you do. Some would say it has to do with income levels. Some would tell you that it's being happily married with 2.5 kids. Some would define it entirely different.

For some people, it's a pleasant word. It gives them a chance to revel in their own personal success as they have defined it. For others, it's a hurtful word that conjures up memories of discussions about disappointment, goals not reached, and choices. It's an innocent little word, yet the emotions attached to it can be very different for each person who hears it.

Context can help to clarify the speaker or author's intention when using a particular word, but the meaning of words is still open to interpretation by the person receiving the message.

The meaning of words is in people, not in words.

*********************************************************************

Alexis and I walked casually through The Emporium, in search of the perfect memento from the Magic Kingdom. We studied t-shirts, we dug through piles of stuffed animals, we glanced at household items. Finally we stumbled upon an aisle filled with miniatures figurines.

Alexis enthusiastically pointed out all of her favorite characters. "Look! It's Minnie!" "I love Daisy." "There's Cinderella!"

Then she saw it. The shelf with the characters from Aladdin.

"Momma, I miss Jasmine. Not purple Jasmine. I miss white Jasmine," she said in her stereotypical high-pitched cheery little kid voice.

It wasn't toddler rambling. It wasn't an incoherent statement. It was a fact. A fact that instantly tore open a hole in my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

She misses our sweet little Lhasa Apso who passed away last fall.

I do, too.

Alexis didn't mean for her words to hurt me, but they did.