A few weeks ago, I was talking with a group of authors when someone asked a very intriguing question. 
What is your favourite word?
Some people knew right away. 'Forlorn' was one choice, because it sounds like its meaning. Others had to think about it. Others, such as myself, were flummoxed. It took me ages to find my answer because there are lots of words I love, for various reasons.
- Because the history of it is delightful. 'Nedjem' is a good example of that. I love that word because it's the first recorded cat's name, and means 'sweet'.
- Because the meaning of it is so profound, such as 'mother'. Incidentally, 'mother' is one of the oldest words in the English language.
- Because it is central to my faith, such as 'Messiah'.
- Because it sounds so funny, such as 'widdershins', 'picadilly', or 'metadata'.
- Because my family has developed a running joke around it, such as 'detritus'. I would explain, but it would take way too long.
However, I recently realized what my all-time favourite word actually is: 'sparkling'. Why, you ask? Because it lifts up the spirits just by seeing it, it's fun to say, it has various positive meanings, and you can alter it into other forms that are just as delightful (sparkles is a word that always makes me smile).
So. Conundrum solved...for me. How about you?
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