I love this post, Peter!! What will stay with me, even more than the many ways we use “please” in our lives, is “please” as a prayer. I can’t count how many times “please” came into my nightly prayers when my spouse was on a ventilator during the early days of the COVID pandemic. Thank you for the reminder of “please” as a way of asking for something meaningful. 🙏
This was beautiful, Peter. I loved how you began with humor and quietly led us somewhere much deeper. By the end, "please" no longer felt like a polite word. It felt like one of the most honest prayers a person can offer. That's an amazing transformation. I think we've all reached moments when there were no perfect words left, only hope. I am so sorry for your loss, but imagine your best friend would be so proud of you.
Thank you Maria. "We've all reached moments where there were no perfect words left, only hope" is so beautifully said. It's been many years but his memory is one that lives closer to the surface than others. I so appreciate the condolences 🙏
I’m so sorry about your best friend, Peter. Through this piece, I realize that I rarely say the word “please”. I usually go with “May I” but you are right. I agree that is a prayer because the few times I mention the word were in my prayers.
I love the idea of Please as a prayer. I never thought of it this way. This was a really good read. Thank you for giving us a different perspective on the Please.
This really touched me. I never thought about "please" this way before. It's such an ordinary word that we use without thinking, yet you've shown how, in our hardest moments, it can become the most complete prayer we have. I especially loved the contrast between the everyday "please" we scatter through our conversations and the quiet, desperate "please" that comes when we reach the edge of what we can carry ourselves. Sometimes there are no eloquent words left—only "please." Thank you for such a beautiful reflection.
Thank you Teresa. You got right down to the heart of what I was feeling so beautifully. I really appreciate you reading and responding with such care 🙏
the shift from the Canadian please/sorry routine to “please” being the only word available after losing your friend was really powerful. getting your belongings back, feeling the relief for a second, then realising nothing inside had magically changed... sometimes please really is the whole prayer. thank you for sharing it with us Peter <3
I am not Canadian but I am a big "please" user too. Every version of please you mentioned I felt. Maybe I am supposed to be Canadian, eh? (That was lame, I'm sorry. 😂)
I think the word is extremely versatile. I also think sometimes we use it too much but there sure as shit are plenty of people who don't use it enough as well.
I’m so sorry you lost your friend, Peter. Love that you use “please” as a complete prayer, all on its own. I do, too. Some days I add the “help,” others I expand to “please help me get my shit together.” Today, “please” is all I can manage. I’m fine with that. Take good care.
Wow! I enjoyed reading the essay. Thanks for sharing the cultural significance and related facts:) In our culture it's replaced by the another word 'kar na ga' which means would you please!
Please. A prayer and a way of moving through the world. I loved the supermarket reference 😂
I love how it was used as a prayer or sometimes a cry for help. Not once since I've been on earth ever thought about it in that way. I've had to use it in desperation a few times in my life and I have been responded to in kind from above in those moments. Unlike the other day 🙄
Thank you Kelly 🙏 I’m still kind of flabergasted that in all these years I've been using please as a prayer and just never consciously made the connection. It’s made me think about what other words I may missed.
Hungarians are notorious for dropping 'bazdmeg' = 'fuck you' in the beginning, middle, or end of every sentence. Depending on tonality, it can pretty much cover every emotion from the feelings wheel and with just one more word, it can create complete sentences.
It doesn't stop there, however. Depending on conjugation (best part of learning Hungarian 🩶), we can describe who and how much should be fucked and the word has its entire slang sub-vocabulary, making the possibilities endless. 😅
"we can describe who and how much should be fucked" 😂 I live this response and thanks for taking the time! I took it a little futher and did some reading. It seems like if this is only Hungarian word I learn, it could cover a lot of ground. 🤔
Peter, I really enjoyed this. The ending was my favorite part. There have been seasons in my life when please was the only prayer I could manage, so I understood exactly what you meant. It's such a simple word, but it can hold so much. Thank you for sharing this. 🤍
I like the humility that “please” can help us embody.
Thanks Pauline and I totally agree. It can be a very grounding word, for sure.
I love this post, Peter!! What will stay with me, even more than the many ways we use “please” in our lives, is “please” as a prayer. I can’t count how many times “please” came into my nightly prayers when my spouse was on a ventilator during the early days of the COVID pandemic. Thank you for the reminder of “please” as a way of asking for something meaningful. 🙏
That must have been an incredibly difficult time Jae L. 🙏
It was scary. But all turned out well. The prayers were generously answered. 🙏
This was beautiful, Peter. I loved how you began with humor and quietly led us somewhere much deeper. By the end, "please" no longer felt like a polite word. It felt like one of the most honest prayers a person can offer. That's an amazing transformation. I think we've all reached moments when there were no perfect words left, only hope. I am so sorry for your loss, but imagine your best friend would be so proud of you.
Thank you Maria. "We've all reached moments where there were no perfect words left, only hope" is so beautifully said. It's been many years but his memory is one that lives closer to the surface than others. I so appreciate the condolences 🙏
I’m so sorry about your best friend, Peter. Through this piece, I realize that I rarely say the word “please”. I usually go with “May I” but you are right. I agree that is a prayer because the few times I mention the word were in my prayers.
Thank you for the kind words 🙏. That’s so interesting that you use “may I”. I always appreciate you feedback!
You’re welcome! 🤗
Yes, because it’s more of a question for me.
Please as prayer. I loved the way into this that you found Peter. Exceptional work as ever.
Thank you so much Lisa 🙏🙂
I love the idea of Please as a prayer. I never thought of it this way. This was a really good read. Thank you for giving us a different perspective on the Please.
Thanks Odile :) I really appreciate your time in reading the piece and also your kind feeback.
This really touched me. I never thought about "please" this way before. It's such an ordinary word that we use without thinking, yet you've shown how, in our hardest moments, it can become the most complete prayer we have. I especially loved the contrast between the everyday "please" we scatter through our conversations and the quiet, desperate "please" that comes when we reach the edge of what we can carry ourselves. Sometimes there are no eloquent words left—only "please." Thank you for such a beautiful reflection.
Thank you Teresa. You got right down to the heart of what I was feeling so beautifully. I really appreciate you reading and responding with such care 🙏
the shift from the Canadian please/sorry routine to “please” being the only word available after losing your friend was really powerful. getting your belongings back, feeling the relief for a second, then realising nothing inside had magically changed... sometimes please really is the whole prayer. thank you for sharing it with us Peter <3
Thank you Rise, I always really appreciate your feedback 🙏
I am not Canadian but I am a big "please" user too. Every version of please you mentioned I felt. Maybe I am supposed to be Canadian, eh? (That was lame, I'm sorry. 😂)
I think the word is extremely versatile. I also think sometimes we use it too much but there sure as shit are plenty of people who don't use it enough as well.
I’m so sorry you lost your friend, Peter. Love that you use “please” as a complete prayer, all on its own. I do, too. Some days I add the “help,” others I expand to “please help me get my shit together.” Today, “please” is all I can manage. I’m fine with that. Take good care.
Thank you so much JoAnn, for reading and for your kindnesss 🙏. Sending you some love for whatever your “please” is reaching for today.
Thank you!!💜💜💜
Wow! I enjoyed reading the essay. Thanks for sharing the cultural significance and related facts:) In our culture it's replaced by the another word 'kar na ga' which means would you please!
Thanks Apurva for reading and also for sharing kar na ga. I love that and will go do a bit of research on it.
It's in my mother tongue Marathi:) so it's written as कर ना गं
Beautiful article on such a common word. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much Deepika, I appreciate you 🙏😊
This is beautiful.
Thank you so much Patty 🙏
Please. A prayer and a way of moving through the world. I loved the supermarket reference 😂
I love how it was used as a prayer or sometimes a cry for help. Not once since I've been on earth ever thought about it in that way. I've had to use it in desperation a few times in my life and I have been responded to in kind from above in those moments. Unlike the other day 🙄
What a surprise to see this come up. 🧡💗🧡
Thank you Kelly 🙏 I’m still kind of flabergasted that in all these years I've been using please as a prayer and just never consciously made the connection. It’s made me think about what other words I may missed.
It definitely made me think more in this too. Thanks Peter. 🙏🏼
Ah, this reminded me of how Italians use “prego” in every sentence they can. To avoid profanity, I shall not disclose the Hungarian equivalent.
So elegantly on point, as always, please keep writing and sharing. 🙏
Thank you Csaba. You know that now you pretty much have to drop the Hungarian equivalent right? 😂
Thank you for your encouraging feedback and consistent confidence boost. I appreciate you 🙏😊
I didn't anticipate this. 😅
Hungarians are notorious for dropping 'bazdmeg' = 'fuck you' in the beginning, middle, or end of every sentence. Depending on tonality, it can pretty much cover every emotion from the feelings wheel and with just one more word, it can create complete sentences.
It doesn't stop there, however. Depending on conjugation (best part of learning Hungarian 🩶), we can describe who and how much should be fucked and the word has its entire slang sub-vocabulary, making the possibilities endless. 😅
I won't even touch on dialect.
"we can describe who and how much should be fucked" 😂 I live this response and thanks for taking the time! I took it a little futher and did some reading. It seems like if this is only Hungarian word I learn, it could cover a lot of ground. 🤔
Peter, I really enjoyed this. The ending was my favorite part. There have been seasons in my life when please was the only prayer I could manage, so I understood exactly what you meant. It's such a simple word, but it can hold so much. Thank you for sharing this. 🤍
Thank you Sophie. I’m sorry that you had to face those seasons too. I really appreciate you reading and sharing here 🙏😊
Thank you Peter. I love your writing and am always excited to read your new work. 🤍
Wow, that’s such a nice compliment. I so appreciate it 🙏