Pretty

Pretty is a word that is often thrown into sentences and phrases when we are at a loss for the right word. According to Oxford Languages, as a noun the word pretty is informal, meaning “an attractive thing, typically a pleasing but unnecessary accessory”. When spoken as an adjective it means, “attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful or handsome”. Pretty can also be used as an adverb meaning “to a moderately high degree; fairly”.

When we think about pretty things it often equates to natural beauty, the falling leaves of Autumn or the soft snowfall of Winter. Pretty takes on a persona of soft imagery with a delicate tone. Pretty can be overused and overlooked in the English language however it holds much more meaning in six little letters than we give it credit for.

Many times feelings of joy and happiness accompany pretty. A sense of warmth, appreciation and acceptance all wrapped up in a word that we merely push from our lips with little to no effort. Two syllables that we speak over our town, personality, our children and grandchildren.

When we use pretty as an adverb we could say that the community of Sand Springs is pretty nice, or pretty grateful to live in such a lovely town. Or perhaps that winter will be here pretty soon and Sand Springs will be showered in snow with fireside conversations. Pretty is used all the time in all types of conversations and doesn’t seem like it gets enough appreciation.

We can all agree the COVID-19 pandemic is pretty awful and has taken over the majority of our lives this year. However, when we step back and look would not you say that it has opened your eyes to the pretty things of the outside world? People working together to create a healthy environment, gatherings being moved outdoors where we can see the beauty of seasons changing in front of us rather than sitting behind closed doors, and the need for relationships being made more important than ever before. Pretty amazing… don’t you think?

So what does pretty mean to you? Have you ever truly thought about the word? What emotions, feelings or memories does it bring to the forefront of your mind? Next time you are about to say “pretty” take a second to ponder the implications of your word choice. Maybe it’s time we opened our eyes to seeing the truly pretty things around us that have been created and are being created as we breath.

Turn to someone and spark up a conversation about what is pretty in their life.