Today is the birthday of a dear friend of mine.
I was reminded of him this past weekend because of something my daughter said.
She showed me one of her pictures, and I said, “LOVE IT!”
Without missing a beat, she responded, “WANT MORE OF IT!”
My friend and I exchanged this call and response many times as graduate students at the University of Kentucky. I don’t know if it was any less hokey when we were in our 20s than it is now, but that short couplet will always remind me of him.
More than being a personal reminder of my friend, however, the phrase has, over time, become my default way of giving praise.
From the time our daughter was old enough to share her pictures or catch a football or clean up her room, I would respond with a hearty, “LOVE IT! WANT MORE OF IT!” I’ve passed a part of my friend on to my daughter. She has never met my friend, but she carries with her one of his verbal trademarks.
The irony, of course, is that my friend is one of the best writers I know, so her only having six words of his in her mind is painfully short of who he actually is.
Still, every time I hear her say “WANT MORE OF IT!” it will remind me of how much my daughter listens to what I say and how much of what I say is the product of the wonderful people in my life.
Who knows. One of these days, I may start passing on the things she says.
Learning Together 