The magic word yet

My primary school teacher had a theory. That the word *yet* was magical.

By adding *yet* to the end of a sentence, you could magically change whatever you said.

Such as: “It hasn’t rained at all this holiday” would jinx it to rain the next day. Mr L argued that adding *yet* to the end removed that jinx.

And strangely enough, as with most things he said actually, this often proved right.

He would also say *yet* in the context of “well you can’t give up yet”. In that sense, *yet* demonstrated that although things weren’t quite going to plan, Mr L knew you couldn’t give up right that minute because somehow, he knew everything was going to get better soon.

Of course, he couldn’t possibly have known that, but as a child I at least believed he did. His faith in me gave me faith in myself and helped me to carry on.

As far as I’m concerned, *yet* is a word of hope. If there is any word which can convey an ongoing belief in something or someone, it is *yet*.

Such as, ‘it hasn’t happened’ is a negative statement which often means that you’re actually thinking, ‘it’s never going to happen.’ By adding *yet* at the end of the statement, you’re still hopeful that whatever event may still happen.

Whenever I’m feeling down or defeated, I try to remember the magic word yet. I remind myself that if things aren’t turning out the way I want them to, the thing I want to happen just hasn’t happened yet. And if I say *yet*, I can hold onto the hope that it will someday happen.

People say that when you get older you stop holding out for the *yet* moments. If that’s true, I think it’s a rather depressing thought.

I don’t want to believe that I’ve stopped holding out for the *yet* moments. True, the older I get, the smaller my dreams become. I know that I have started to build my dreams to fit my reality instead of the other way around, which saddens me slightly. But I suppose everyone does it.

Right now, I'm holding on to *yet* to waylay worries. I keep reminding myself that I can't possibly know what's going to happen yet, and so there's not reason for me to start worrying.

This week I spent a lot of time with a very smart person. She’s just turned five - the age where you ask ‘why’ to everything. She’s so curious and never stops asking questions, some which I’ll admit I couldn’t answer. Like why do jellyfish look like piles of jelly – if you have an answer to that one, I promised I’d find her one so do help me out and drop a comment below.

She believes in so many things and has exciting hopes and dreams. She’s quite simply extraordinary – by which I mean she is a child, and there is something about that which is magical. Seeing the world through a child’s eyes is like seeing it all new again.

I remember being that inquisitive and hopeful. I’d like to say I’m still inquisitive, but I know I don’t ask as many impossible questions as I used to. My ‘why’s were often to do with why the words we use to say things are the words that we use. Like ‘why is the colour blue called blue?’

I suppose I didn’t stop asking those questions really. I’m still fascinated by languages and where they come from. I guess in my own way I’ve just carried on studying in a way to answer those impossible questions.

I remember when I stopped asking questions like that aloud; it was the day I realised that there wasn’t an answer which would satisfy me. ‘Because it is’ became a frustrating response for me, so I stopped asking. And maybe I started accepting things on face value instead of questioning everything.

My small friend has the whole of life before her. The good and the bad. And if I could wish one thing for her, I would wish that she keeps hold of her curiosity, her beliefs and her dreams.

The world we live in encourages us to stop believing in things that we can’t prove. We are all guided as we grow up to stop believing, stop dreaming, stop waiting for the ‘yet’ moment.

But why should we? I’m a firm believer in the fact that we all need something to believe in.

So why shouldn’t it be that there are secret dragons living in a hidden cave at the bottom of Bamburgh castle? Why shouldn’t we dream of becoming like a prince or princess? Why should we stop believing that whatever we’re waiting for is just around the corner?

I choose to believe that despite the circumstances surrounding us all, 2020 is not yet a complete disaster. I choose to dream that 2020 could be the year that a certain amount of wishes and dreams that haven’t come true for me yet could come true.

I choose to believe that whatever comes our way, we will overcome it.

If you’re feeling a little low, maybe write out a list of the things that are pulling you down.

Then think about what comes next. Because when times are tough, the only thing you can do is look ahead. Dwelling doesn’t fix anything.

Time allows you to fix things. No matter how much shit seems to be hitting the fan right now (pardoning the phrase), you will deal with it. You will overcome it. Your magical *yet* moment is just around the corner.

“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night”

#magic #belief #dreams #hope