Shug…
In case you’re not from where I’m from, ‘Shug’ is pronounced ‘Shooog’ – like sugar. In fact, it’s used in calling someone sugar in a loving way… ‘Want to go to the store with me Shug?’ ‘Come sit by me Shug.’ ‘Oh Shug, I’m so sorry.’
Not all step-mom’s are like Cinderella’s… I wasn’t around mine a lot, just a couple weeks every summer when I would go back to my hometown to spend time with Daddy. She always called me Shug and I always felt loved by her. We had great fun together – her little girl was half my age. So I was old enough to ride the roller coaster with her at the Miracle Strip, old enough to tube with her in the lake. We laughed a lot…
She took me to have pictures done one summer, I must have been eleven and I wanted to wear lipstick so bad. The shade I wore in that picture matched one of the stripes in my dress. It was a quite a sight, but she loved it and so did I. ‘Shug, you are the prettiest little girl I know’ is what she said after we got them back.
I heard my husband’s secretary a couple years ago on the phone with a client. She called her ‘Hon’ a couple of times (you know, like honey). She did that with a lot of the clients. Everyone loved her. They thought she was the kindest, most helpful person they had ever talked to.
So, I’m thinking my mother’s old saying ‘You get a lot more with honey, than you do with vinegar’ is true. Not that we should use these ‘terms of endearment’ insincerely. But how about a little grace on the phone when you have problems with the phone or cable company: ‘Well, hon, I know you aren’t at fault here, but I need your help getting this straightened out.’ Might go a lot further than most approaches we’ve used before.
We never know how our words are going to affect others. I sure hope there’s someone out there over the course of the years that can look back and say about me: ‘I remember this lady who called me ‘sweetheart’, ‘dear’, ‘cutie’…and it made me feel cared about, loved….’
parisrenae 
My grandma always called me ‘sugar’ – and then made sure I had lots of it to eat (man, she could make some awesome chocolate pudding!)
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Mmmm, sounds good, bet being called ‘sugar’ made you feel special – hard to decide if being called sugar or licking the chocolate pudding bowl was better, right?
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This is so precious! A good reminder to add sugar to every conversation!
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Lynette, thanks for stopping by and for your ‘sweet’ words (pun definitely intended 🙂 ) Have wonderful Friday, and drip some honey on someone!
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I share your sentiment…I hope that I leave people feeling cared for.
Lovely thoughts, Paris Renae, thank you for sharing. 🙂
Blessings!
~ Brenda Ottinger
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Brenda, thank you for stopping by. Thank you for your kind thoughts, have a blessed Friday…
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That’s so lovely. Thank you for sharing.
I had trouble voting in your poll because I call people both hun and sweetie a lot! But decided I’m more likely to use hun (hon) in day to day encounters.
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Thank you for voting in the poll, it’s a fun little thing to do. Thank you also for your kind words. I hope you have a blessed Friday, hon, in whatever He leads you to do. 🙂
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I couldn’t agree more with your post! Sweet words from a genuine heart go a long way! Thanks for writing!
Brandi Bruce
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Brandi, thanks for stopping by. I love your About page on your website, well done, definitely makes me want to read your heart… Have a blessed Friday, Shug 🙂
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Our words are so important and they are powerful in the impact! Thanks for this reminder… honey is better than vinegar! 🙂 It’s a sweet thought! Thanks for sharing this story! (stopping by from Compel)
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Thanks or stopping by, Rachel. Wishing you a blessed weekend filled with ‘sweet’ words 🙂
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Great thought when dealing with customer service!
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You’ll have to let me know how it works when you try it 🙂
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Oh my I loved this! Words do matter for sure! I love that you had a great step mom – that’s a blessing! Your advice, so spiritually sound will last for generations! Sweet southern words of grace make me smile today. Thank you!
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Melanie, thank you so much for your ‘sweet’ words. Hope your weekend is filled with many more smiles – and you’re welcome 🙂
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Love this post to be mindful how we come off to other people to show that we care about them. I worked with a 1st grade teacher this year who got the attention of her class when they were misbehaved or not on task — she said “my little darlings….” This rubbed off on my student teacher intern who started using darling for all different ages of my students when it was appropriate to get their attention!
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Thank you for sharing that story. My hairdresser’s granddaughter has always called her great grandmother ‘darling’ – and, of course, great grandma loves it. It’s the little things, especially in words, that can make all the difference – for better or worse. Have a lovely weekend…
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I am a StepMom and Good gave me a promise the day we married. It was that He would be by my side at all times to give the unconditional love I knew I could not do without Him!
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Debbie, I am sure you have been a blessing in their lives. Everyday we learn more and more that there is nothing we can do without Him – Amen!
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So very True!!
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Love this Shug.
Love,
Honey buns
This is priceless! Yep southern girl with roots deep in East Texas thank you for sharing. Please join us each week. Susan
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Thanks, Susan, absolutely – looking forward to our weekly ‘meetings’ 🙂
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