What Adjectives Color Your World?


What Adjectives Color Your World?
By Elizabeth Mowers

As some of you may already know, I teach ESL (English as a second language) online every morning. As I am a very expressive person, this job comes pretty naturally to me as I must act out many new words for students. I also use a lot of expression to encourage my students to speak. My big smile, funny faces and encouraging nods seem to help them overcome their fear of failure.




As expressive as I am, most parents write and thank me for being a serious teacher. Say, what? I've never been called a serious anything a day in my life. But in my students' culture, this is a huge compliment. It means I take my job seriously and work hard to help their student. Okay, if you put it that way, I'll take it!

When I was growing up the ultimate compliment that you could receive from someone in my family was that you were "hilarious". At family functions you could practically see everyone's brain working overtime to piggy back off of someone's comment to make a joke. Over the course of a visit, if you could circle back to reference an earlier conversation by connecting it to the present conversation in a joke you earned double bonus points (paid out in everyone's loud laughter). In my family you had to get used to people talking over you and scrambling to beat you to the punch line. As a kid when I brought friends to family parties, my friends usually looked shell shocked for the first hour or two. If they could land at least one zinger at an opportune moment and land a good laugh, they were in! 

But I used to think that if my friends had grown up in a family like mine they might have spent their entire childhoods feeling like a round peg in a square hole. I believe that friends are the family you choose. Maybe that means the first task of adulthood is finding people who appreciate the adjectives you bring to the table. "Hmm, I'm not hilarious but I'm kind and honest. Any other twenty-somethings out there looking for kind and honest?"



I saw a post on Facebook recently that listed wonderful adjectives to describe little girls other than telling them they look "pretty" or telling them what cute clothes they have. Change the adjectives and you can change how they view themselves. Instead of telling a little girl "What a cute dress you have on!" Tell her she is brave, bold, clever, adventurous, kind, helpful, artistic, decisive, fair, honest, or...dare I say...hilarious. THEN you can admire her dress and ask if it comes in adult sizes.




Though I listen to news updates on the radio, I've stopped watching the news. It was too negatively impacting my view of the world and my place in it. When I stop to think of the good things I see going on, despite all the turmoil these days, I think of people visiting friends and caring for family and going the extra mile to brighten a neighbor's day. I do think of my community as stressed and worried and hurting, but I also think of it as strong and compassionate and persevering too. 

What about you? 

What was the highest compliment you could have gotten as a kid? 
Besides the pain in the world these days, what positive things do you see too? 
What are the adjectives that just make you light up?


June saw the release of my newest book WHERE THE HEART MAY LEAD. 



Love wasn’t worth the risk

Until she met him

Paige Cartman’s quest to protect her family has brought her to the idyllic lakeside town of Roseley. Revealing her old life to anyone—especially to charismatic pilot Charlie Stillwater—could put others in jeopardy. Charlie is falling fast for warmhearted Paige, but her secrecy reminds him of another’s betrayal. Can Paige finally leave her shadowed past behind and trust that love has led her home?





If you loved the character of Tully in this book, he's getting his own story! 

Preorder HER HOMETOWN DETECTIVE, out January 1st.




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Comments

  1. This is my daughter's current favorite: erinaceous. Of or relating to hedgehogs. She has an erinaceous toothbrush holder. Her father bought her erinaceous chocolate treats (chocolate hedgehogs). I think that if it were to be defined, it would be cozy, contained and a little standoffish or reserved. 'The living room decor gave off a distinctive erinaceous feel.'

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    1. Bahahaha! That is a good one. I hope to use that in a sentence soon:-)

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  2. I think being called spirited and funny would be great at any age. I hope as I get older I can avoid adjectives like cantankerous or misanthropic. So far, so good, I think. I do watch news because current history and politics are more or less my hobbies! I know, I know, call me crazy. But I grew up in a "spirited" activist home where the ideas about the state of the world were served with the mashed potatoes. I adore the cover of "Where the Heart..." So evocative.

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    1. I find it difficult to believe that anyone who writes heartwarming romance could ever be considered cantankerous or misanthropic! I could so easily get addicted to watching the news. Reading it or only listening to it keeps my blood pressure at a healthier level these days. I love my cover too - thanks, Virginia!

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  3. Hmm, I've never really thought about that before. I moved around a lot so if anyone thought of me and described me, I was just happy they knew who I was. I love looking for the positives right now, from how my son is trying to learn how to juggle to my daughter's brightness in trying to make people feel happy about the here and now. I think I might join you soon in staying away from the news. That sounds like a definite bright spot with a chance for more joy and happiness and more positive adjectives! Great post.

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    1. Thanks for the comment, Tanya. Wish your son "good luck" on his juggling. I think a skill like that could come in handy from time to time!

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  4. It's out of fashion now, but I still like nice people. Meaning, of course, people who act with kindness. Funny is good, too, as well as giving, smart, and loyal. My brand new son-in-law is enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic, all of which are wonderful qualities, but he's also loving, which is the best.

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    1. Being loving and kind never go out of style. Your new son-in-law sounds like a wonderful blessing to the family.

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  5. As a kid if you praised me for anything I did athletically, you would be my friend for life. lol. And I don't watch the news.AT.All. Of course that means I missed the Space-X splashdown! Going now to see if I can find it online. Enjoyed your post!

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    1. It seems you can find nearly anything online now. I searched for a television commercial I fondly remembered from my childhood and I found it easily on YouTube. Thanks for the comment, Patricia.

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  6. A lot of what was said to me as a child as admonishments and warnings were something I was proud of. You're too imaginative, too unrealistic, you dream too much--statements like that were intended to ground me in reality, but even as a kid I knew there was more than enough reality to go around. Right now I'm also avoiding the news and many of the reports online. It isn't that I don't know what's going on, I just don't want it to drag my spirits down.

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    1. Round peg, square hole. With all of your creative and nature-loving pursuits, Julianna, I'd say you rose above!

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