WELCOME to "Friday's Foibles"


foible  |'foibel|
noun
1  a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character:  they have to tolerate each other's little foibles. 


Okay, here's the thing about the word "foible."  It's one of those deceivingly lovely sounding words that is uttered by a tongue dripping with sarcasm and accompanied by a covert roll of the speaker's eyes.  Haven't you done this?  Your voice is saying, "Oh, honey, it's just one of your lovable little foibles."  But, your eyes are saying, "That drives me absolutely crazy about you and I know you're going to be like that for the rest of your (my) life! (What was I thinking?)"


This little grenade of a word has its roots in Old French, and takes its spelling from the French word "fieble," which we know as "feeble."  It's already not sounding so nice anymore, right?  Now consider the English words you'll find in your Thesaurus under "foible"---failing, fault, weakness, flaw, defect, blemish, and worst of all, kink!!!  Well, leave it to the French to clothe an insult so beautifully...a criticism hurled straight at the core of your being and yet, sidles up to you in a stunning Chanel suit!  The word "foible" sounds so innocuous, suave even, you may even mistake it for a compliment if you're not careful. But make no mistake...YOU have at least one foible, as so does everyone you know!  Feel better?


Rest assured, all our foibles do have a couple redeeming, irresistible qualities.  First, they are universally recognizable and relatable--the foundation for all great and healing humor.  Second, chalk it up to the word's seductive French sound, but we actually love foibles in the folks in our lives!  Admit it, we do!  We don't really want perfection...perfection is boring, never mind elusive! We really want one, good, juicy flaw, defect, or quirk that we can sink our teeth into and complain about and roll our eyes at for the rest of our lives!  And foibles aren't limited to just people.  Our days, weeks, our lives have their own foibles; some are forever, some fleeting.  By the time you greet each Friday of your life, you have met more than one foible, trust me.  Sometimes you meet it with a wince, clenched jaw, or knitted brow...but sometimes you meet it with a laugh, smirk, and a surprised shake of your head.  Foibles are Life's thorn on the rose, the flaw in the diamond...we can't help but look at them (sort of like that Chanel suit!)  So...it's Friday, go ahead, look at them!  They must be there for a reason.  We are always happier on Fridays, so what better day to face our foibles, roll our eyes and laugh!


Thanks for reading.  Let it steep!