I have a friend that went to the same college that I did. She and I are quite similar in many ways and we've come to be able to trust each other in things that we might not tell other people. My friend came up with a great way to differentiate between things that are okay to mention to someone else and things that absolutely, positively, must not be shared with anyone else: "The Onyx Ring".
It's like putting something in a black hole of secrecy, but the name comes from something we both have in common, a black onyx class ring from our school. The ring from our college has been the same I believe since the school has been offering class rings to their students. Your choices are quite limited, being only you ring size and ten versus fourteen karat gold. Oh, and your name engraving on the inside. Other than that, all the rings are the same.
But this new phrase, "Onyx Ring" has an effect on me that I didn't realize it would. It's like a binding contract of silence. You hear people say, "and don't tell anyone but..." and you hope to remember it, and you definitely don't plan to betray a trust, but we say that all the time and sometimes we mean it with more emphasis than others.
It's been nice having a very specific saying that says, "it's just between the two of us." It's also been nice having a confidant that is involved in some of the same things as I am. Also, she's fun.
The Big Boy Update: Terribly tired. He still isn't feeling that well. He went to school but was cranky. He went to gymnastics, but wasn't enthusiastic. He slept a long time this afternoon and then wanted to go to bed early. He's having a hard time getting over this cold just like I am.
The Tiny Girl Chronicles: "I want to try that again." If it's fun and my daughter is liking it (say you're flipping her over or showing her how to balance the egg on the spoon, she'll say this phrase over and over again. Today, daddy almost threw his back out because my daughter wanted to be thrown up in the air repeatedly.
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