One of the pleasures we’ve derived from growing flowers is meeting other people who share our passion. We are part of a network of local growers in our area. Over time we have become more than colleagues. They are our friends, confidants, mentors, and counselors. They understand our challenges and aspirations. They know what we mean. They feel with us. For us.
One local grower, Lisa, owns a cut flower and floral design company she named Apricity. From the beginning we thought it was an interesting, compelling moniker that rolled off the tongue with equal parts natural grace and melody.
CNN Highlighted Apricity
I hadn’t looked up apricity and didn’t know it was a word until CNN wrote about it in its Good Stuff blog this week.
Speak it into Existence
Some leading English language authorities have released their top words of 2022, and it’s honestly a little depressing! Permacrisis? Gaslighting? Goblin mode? OK, maybe that last one isn’t so bad. However, there’s a silver lining to the latest linguistic harvest, and that’s all the new word knowledge that comes along with it. I spoke to Martha Barnette, co-host of the radio show “A Way with Words,” about neologisms, or words that are just starting to get into use in a language. She points out it’s comforting to discover when there’s a word that fits an exact way we feel, because it shows other people have felt the same thing! The article is fun, but here are some tidbits from Barnette that didn’t make publication: There’s a word for the warmth of the sun in winter, and it’s “apricity.” And yes, it shares roots with the word “apricot!” Also, I asked her if she has a favorite neologism. “We were collecting slang from high schoolers in Huntsville, Alabama, and they introduced me to ‘touch grass,'” she said. (“Touch grass” essentially means to give yourself a reality check when you’re losing perspective or are too far down a strange path — usually in relation to something online.) “Which I feel is so perfect, and such an antidote to a lot of things that stress us out. Just unplug! Step away from the computer. Go touch some grass.”
Apricity is perfect for December, especially today, 14 December, when Maryland experiences its earliest sunset (even though 21 December is the shortest day). When the days are the shortest and darkness is a downer, a little bit of apricity is just the ticket. Even when it’s cold, a cloudless blue sky and brilliant sunshine restore the soul. Apricity recharges our batteries. Gives us the strength to hold on just a bit longer. Gets us through the narrow place that is winter, much like our flower farming friends get us through growing seasons. Thank you, Lisa, for the apricity, in every form and season, that you furnish the world.
