Good Morning, Honey

I used to cringe when a stranger called me honey or sweetie.  However, it is beginning to grow on me.

Last year when a friend came out of surgery I knew how loopy she was by how many times she called me “honey”.  She never calls me honey.  It was a great way to follow her recuperation.  When she finally quit with the “honey” business, I almost missed it.  It was tangible proof of how she really felt.

Last week a young waitress began calling us honey and sweetie.  Her face was drawn from no sleep and a very long shift, yet we had been coming in often enough that she recognizes us and still takes the time to make us feel special.

Of course, there are still many situations where addressing people in this manner is entirely inappropriate, and sometimes sexual harassment.  I am not condoning it’s use without thought and understanding.  I am just suggesting that in certain situations, being called honey or sweetie with the right intonation and feeling is almost starting to feel like a little hug in a world that lacks so sorely of connections within the human family.