Eloquence

A trait I often admire in others is the art of being well spoken. A person who is well spoken comes off as educated, refined, respectful, and confident. I have decided that this is going to be something we are going to focus on this year and the girls know that the word for this year is "Eloquence".

The Meriam-Webster definition of eloquence is:
speech or writing that is forceful and convincing; also : the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way 

I'm not sure I'm aiming for "forceful" or "convincing", what I do hope is that my children choose their words carefully, think before they open their mouth, and can effectively communicate what they want to say.
So when trying to drive this concept home I have taught them 3 mantras:

1. Think before you talk.

2. Know what to say, when to say it (timing can be crucial), and when to hold your tongue.

3. Don't talk just to talk.

I think being able to listen to others without interrupting is a very important part of it. It shows respect and allows you time to formulate your own words. I think this can be hard for children who feel like the more you say, the more important you are even when your words have little or no substance.

So how fortunate was I that the epitome of eloquence decided to pay our town a visit.

I love that my girls were able to witness this wonderful woman in action. She is so much more than someone who has mastered the spoken word. She's humble, accomplished, and she practices what she preaches. She's beautiful!!! And what makes her beautiful to me is her perfect mix of confidence and humility, how natural she is (she's polished, not materialistic and embraces who she is without augmentation), and you can see that she does live a healthy lifestyle (hence practicing what you preach).
I know these ideas were not running through my children's minds as they watched her but I'm sure they could tell that she is special; admired and respected. Hopefully they will remember being in her presence, pick out the qualities that set her apart and try to emulate them in their own lives.