DebbieWinks – Debbie’s Blog from Israel # 8

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DebbieWinks — Blog #8 — August, 2023

Shalom,

The Hebrew word Shalom/ Hello is widely known and has two other distinct meanings, goodbye and peace.

Distinct to the Hebrew language are its’ root derivatives. Most all parts of speech except for prepositions, have three letters inside them and identified as their root. From these shared roots, words are created and linked in meaning. Consequently there is a variety of expanded words which branch off in their meanings and some are obviously linked in meaning and sometimes are not so obvious. There are several words that share the same three letter root with the word ‘shalom’ (names of letters are: shin, lamed and mem). To pay (le-shalem), to make amends (le-hashleem), perfection (mooshlum) and wholeness (shalem) are word expansions that contain the same root yet have added letters and different vowel constellations.

Alert: This is not going to be a blog about the roots of the Hebrew language.

Remember that I told you in my last blog that over the years since living with a cancer diagnosis I have written a collection of poems called: ‘Shalom Sarcoma Salaam’?

Well…. When I struggled from the cancer journey, I paid a price and it got worse. When I wallowed in suffering without making amends, ‘it’ managed me. When I visualized the different parts of my wholeness and gathered them back to recovery, I felt the strongest sense of peace and wholeness.

We cannot heal if we do not identify the fundamentals of what we need to keep rooted and upright. I personally knew that my ‘three letters’ were humor, integrity, and faith.

During my numerous surgeries and recoveries the three-dimensional Shalom greeted, escorted, exited, and ultimately discovered peace within. Spoken Word and writing helps me see all the letters find their calling as they line up in their respective evolving parts of speech parlaying with my body, mind, and soul.

Alas…. the deeper meaning of speech is indeed unspoken.

The more things are hidden, the more they may be revealed in the silent syllables of recovery.

Perhaps you might be thinking to yourselves that you get the Shalom part but why did Debbie choose the counterpart Arabic word ‘Salaam’ in the title of my poem collection?

Well that my friends will be told in the next blog…

Debbie Winks! 😊

Debbie Havusha
dhavusha@hotmail.com