Language By Laurie Peterson Benson March 8, 2023 Because I am going to Italy this spring, traveling with my brilliant professoressa, who is also my sorella, I am learning again to speak the smallest amounts of a new language. Much like when I was a three-year-old, wanting to be understood, but understanding more. more than I could say. And in the word, “good-bye.” Why is it good, when someone is leaving? And “arrivederci,” possibly it’s wrong? Confusing.  A word that means farewell begins with the word arrived? Perhaps I worry about words too much. Like Emily Dickinson who said something like, there is nothing in the world that has more power than a word. Maybe, worry is not the word for what I do, perhaps decipher or work out.  Decode and decrypt. I asked my grandson if he wanted oatmeal for dinner.  You love it! I reminded him. Oatmeal?  I don’t like oatmeal. I said, “meatloaf,” didn’t I? Didn’t I? They do have the same letters, we figured out. At seven, he’s learning vowel pairs,