Bad Acronyms

I was glancing at a few blurbs in Readers Digest recently that made me laugh. Apparently in Iowa the Elders Affairs department decided to change its name to The Department on Aging using the acronym, to the distress of many of its senior members, of DOA. The same blurb also mentioned that In Sioux City the Gateway Airport just got saddled by the FAA with the designation of SUX. Both of these made me chuckle until I stopped to think of some acronyms that hit a little closer to home. My boys belong to a wonderful Cooperative which has been such a Godsend especially during High School. I have probably mentioned it here or there in a post, but I am sure you’ll notice I always write out Sacred Heart Tutorials completely as the acronym is unpleasantly SHT. The first paper Peter did on the computer was labeled SHT and almost got him grounded before I realized he wasn’t just being flippant about his new school group.

More recently I‘ve been invited by some new friends in the area to a Bible study. I have to tell you I raised an eyebrow as I asked when they met and was told 7 am Saturday mornings. I thought “wow these women either really love God or are really crazy” since no person in their right mind would sacrifice that delicious end of the week sleep- particularly with little ones who often wake in the night- to meet and talk about Genesis-

Or would they?

Come on- Really?

I showed up at the first meeting thinking it would likely be my last, but instead found myself oddly intrigued by what I saw. Everyone being perfectly themselves, very real. I mean like The Velveteen Rabbit kind of real. I was still bothered by waking up in the dark as I left but also sensed that exciting feeling that maybe, just maybe this really was something special. The next Saturday found me awake in the dark once again and so have just about every one since.

Saturday mornings you’ll find me with ten other women sitting around, sometimes in pajamas,( yes we’re that comfortable) drinking coffee, and sharing thoughts on God, family, children, husbands, the church, joys and sorrows, worries and frustrations, and just about every other really important thing that touches our lives. It’s the highlight of my week. Who would have thought carving out such an odd hour of time would turn out to be a stroke of genius!

It is dark yes, but it is also quiet and calm and a space of our own for women who give so much of themselves those other seven days of the week. It’s a place to be us with no other demands for two whole hours. 

Of course the reason I am speaking about them in this post is because I am pretty sure they have the worst acronym of all. These wonderful women affectionately refer to this Bible Study as – you guessed it- B.S. They send emails titled B.S. – refer to it in conversation as B.S. and probably wave to their husbands as they walk out the door “Bye Honey I’m going to B.S.!” I find this ridiculously funny each time I stop to think of it. But honestly I don’t know what I’d do without Saturday morning B.S. 

Terrible acronym- but I'd be lost without them!