Hear the Psithurism

Written By Karen Faith

A warm October hello to you, dear friend ~

I came across this book, and the word psithurism, while on a retreat in northern Michigan in October 2018. The inn where we stayed had a treasure trove of books filling the walls of bookshelves. I am so glad I took photos of some of the titles, and especially the paragraph quoted above.

I love words, and often reflect on the blessing of being able to channel this love through conversations with clients and writings such as these.

Readers of my Notes know that I am intentional in keeping these shares brief yet meaningful. In that spirit, I am going to bullet point thoughts on my mind related to words and my curiosities around them:

  • What are sounds and experiences not communicated through words? I think of the almost inaudible sound of breathing when a moment of awe is experienced.

  • How come languages and dialects differ in their capacity for conveying specific feelings, thoughts, and emotions through words? I think of times when friends for whom English is a second language have told me “there is a word or saying” in their language that expresses something perfectly that is not quite captured in English.

  • Is the appreciation for words lessened in our current world, where so often thoughts are expressed through acronyms? I experience confusion at least once a week, in an email or a text, where I’m scratching my head (or Googling) what a certain new acronym means. IYKYK (*If You Know, You Know)

  • I notice changes in my own word retrieval. Is this organic, or a result of technology’s impact on my brain? I took pride in my vocabulary and adeptness at remembering names. Nowadays, finding the word I’m looking for, or placing a name with a face, takes time…and effort.

  • What if I tried to use a synonym for a common word at least once a day? I was gifted a Roget’s Thesaurus when I was a kid, and to this day, I love to leaf through the pages. Perchance I can strengthen my word retrieval this way (see what I did there? LOL!)

And there you have it, a peek into the workings of my brain. Often scattered, usually varied, and always curious!

I am working on a few new things for 2026 and look forward to sharing with you in upcoming Notes.

I am grateful, as always, for this community.

Stay curious,

Karen Faith
Next

Bridges