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Saturday, April 10, 2010

“Take Care”…there’s an “app” for that.

There seems to be an app for just about everything these days from turning off the lights to checking x-rays on a smart phone.

I was thinking about how we use the simple phrase, “Take Care.” It is an all purpose expression with many apps and nuances in our culture.

We say it when we mean, “Be safe” to show our regard for someone’s journey, a modern day version of “God Speed.”

This is the Concern App for when friends and family get on the road or are on their way. We say “Take Care” as they depart.

Another way we apply “Take Care” is when we signal closure for those awkward times when there is nothing more to say.

It is over and there are no words left for breaking-up a relationship, except “Take Care.” This is the Goodbye App for endings.

We say “Take Care” as we leave someone at the hospital wishing recovery and good health even when we know that it may not be so.

It is another way to express our emotions, show compassion but leave much unsaid, for again there are no words, except a kind “Take Care.” This is the I Care App, but more than I can say.

There is also the breezy farewell of “Take Care.” This is the Casual App, just a brief and friendly “see ya” like Ciao.

“Take Care” gives us a versatile, functional app for many occasions ranging from the casual to the profound. It’s a simple phrase representing what is said and not said.

It’s short, sometimes sweet and sometimes sad, but it says it all when we need it.

Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

5 comments:

  1. Loved the analogy Erana even though I don't have an I-phone or anything else that will run apps. Take care fills a void for people who are afraid or don't want to express their true feelings. I love hugs...they do the same thing but I've learned as I've gotten older that it's much more important to express what you're truly feeling....it take practice but it's very freeing!!

    Thanks,

    Hugs,

    Bill

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  2. Thanks, Bill. I love our language and often think of how we communicate. Technology can only take us so far.

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  3. It's amazing when you think about all the different ways and situations in which we can use the same words. No wonder so many things get misunderstood along the way. Thank goodness we have the ability to smile, that alone can say so much.

    Thanks for your post,
    Bryan

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  4. Either spoken or written, certain phrases can take on so many rolls, and just two simple words can say so much, like you expressed so cleverly here... reading this makes me want to pay more attention ... thanks and take care!

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  5. English is very versatile...there really is a word for everything. When I find just the right one, it delights me to express it.

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