True confession—I’m loving this. And you?

Welsh
#1

Ever suddenly been aware that you felt amazingly happy?

Two days ago, I was plugged into SSiW, (literally—being deaf, I connect it directly into my hearing aids via bluetooth), cooking up a storm and batting Welsh sentences back and forth. Although it was below freezing outside, with more snow forecast, our toasty-warm kitchen was filling with the spicey aromas of lamb stew bubbling away on the stove and a practice run of hot-cross buns baking in the oven.

Putting the kettle on for a well-earned cuppa’ I was caught offguard by the sudden realization of how happy I felt. Unconsciously, effortlessly even, I had been speaking Welsh for over an hour (completing two lessons back-to-back) while preparing plenty of comfort food to share with friends who were coming over for a bit of home cooking, a good natter and a laugh.

Thinking back to that ‘magic moment’—a huge part of it was the sense of closeness and connection with all you good folk thanks to the effort and encouragement our briliant ‘coaches’ have devoted to helping us speak Welsh. I had a beautiful sense of being ‘at home’ at home, not a ‘pilgrim in a foreign land’—Canada.

Any other true confessions like this out there? I’d love to hear about your ‘magic moments’ trying to SSiW when you suddenly realized how happy you feel, no matter how far you are along in the process—just being part of this community is really special right from the get go, isn’t it?

Hwyl,
Mari

19 Likes
#2

It certainly feels more positive doing something like this rather than staring aimlessly at junk on the phone and not really doing anything while on public transport etc.

4 Likes
#3

Right on! Good for you!

Cheers,
Mari

1 Like
#4

Thank you for sharing such a lovely story!
I can relate to that happy feeling. Every morning I get up an hour before my family to have a warm cup of coffee and to practice my Welsh. It is my time to nurture myself by doing something that I have thoroughly fallen in love with and, I would not want to start my day any other way. Besides my Welsh practice, the other great part of my morning is checking in with the wonderful members of this community. I love to read the questions, breakthroughs and humorous antidotes that everyone shares. It truly puts a smile on my face to read a post from someone just getting started with their adventure because I know that if they stick with it they too will find the joy that I have come to know.
Again, thank you for sharing for happiness with Welsh!

9 Likes
#5

Diolch yn fawr iawn Kelly,

Tomorrow morning when I take that first delicious sip of coffee I will bid you ‘bore da’ and think of your special start to the day. Enjoy!

But for now, it must be time for sleep after our lovely annual St. David’s dinner. I think I ate too much—it was that second bowl of leek soup that did it,… oh, and the extra Welsh cake…

Nos da,
Mari

4 Likes
#6

What a very, very beautiful post… :slight_smile: :heart:

I would absolutely LOVE to hear if other people have similar feelings, similar moments to this.

It’s never really occurred to me that the process - with all the pressure we put you under - could itself be a trigger for happy.

Would you mind if I quoted you on Facebook, Mari? :slight_smile:

@Deborah-SSi - can we give this a headline slot in the next email?

7 Likes
#7

I listen every morning on my way to work and again on the way home. I realised the other day that I was actually enjoying my commute - I’m even happy in a traffic jam :flushed:No kidding, I sometimes hope for a delay so I can squeeze another listening exercise in :wink:

9 Likes
#8

Of course Aran, please use whatever you want. See what you started—‘happy hour’ :slightly_smiling_face:

Hwyl,
Mari

2 Likes
#9

Know what you mean Thomasina, but if you lived in Vancouver and commuted downtown you wouldn’t need to hope for a delay, it’s a sure thing. I take the bus and sneak in some SSiW time when I need to go to the city centre these days.

Cheers,
Mari

2 Likes
#10

Mari, you write so beautifully, what a gift - and what a gift your post is to all of us. I can’t express myself anything like that, but I’ll try to tell you about my joy…

This is absolutely what it’s all about for me. I’m in the US, with no one local that I can speak with, and no one else I know interested in learning, Welsh could be a lonely business for me. And I don’t need to speak it, I only started on a whim to see what it was like - even though I’ve been interested in Wales since childhood, I never imagined I could actually learn to really speak Welsh. But that first lesson was so much fun, and I quickly found this community…

I would not have continued for almost four years, and come as far as I have come as a Welsh speaker, without this community. I’ve never met any of you, but I feel like you are all my friends, as silly as that may sound. The sense of connection means everything - connection to all of you, to a country that is far away, that I would love to visit, but cannot for now for various reasons. Yes, there is a sense of accomplishment from learning which makes me happy, but the JOY comes from my connection with all of you - your help, your shared experience, both about the language and about life, but most of all the kindness and caring which shines through every post when someone welcomes someone new, or answers a question, or posts something they think will meet someone else’s particular interest, or shares their love for the language, or volunteers to speak with an anxious new learner.

A few months after I started learning Welsh, I had an accident and was hurt and unable to do much physically for a couple of months. I did a lot of Welsh learning during that time, and it brought me a real joy - so much that I was surprised by that joy, and so grateful for it. I really felt like Cat and Iestyn were my friends during that stretch! :slight_smile:

So diolch bawb for all the unexpected joy you’ve brought into my life - there’s a whole piece of me which will never be the same and will never leave me because of this wonderful, joyful Welsh language journey. I definitely don’t have the words to express how much that means to me!

12 Likes
#11

Bore da Anna,

You write brilliantly, and from the heart, expressing what so many feel.

We have found something magical here—something special that the world needs—loving kindness, encouragement and good-natured support—something that other SSiWers enjoy too.

Oops my bus stop coming up—I will respond better later.

Diolch yn fawr iawn,
Mari

6 Likes
#12

Glad to see I’m not the only one listening on my commute. I find it really does make the drive much more enjoyable (to the extent that I’m now working through the old course). I might draw the line at learning Gog though - I’m not sure my tongue can cope with those vowels.

4 Likes
#13

I think the southern one is enough for me to take in for now…but never say never :crazy_face:

3 Likes
#14

One of the amazing things of this community is that so many of us seem to perceive the connection, and how much it helps us learning, but then have a whole lot of different ways of feeling and living it!

7 Likes
#15

For me, it is a mix of love and fear, happines and anxiety, thrill and excitement. Something like an adrenaline sport.
When I did this for the first time, I took my computer and hid in our bedroom. I was so afraid that my husband in the living room could hear me and laugh at me (absolutely silly, he wouldn’t do that).
I still have butterflies in my stomach before every challenge and huge ego-boost after I finish it. Even though it’s getting better and more natural. I am trying to move from using the pause button all the time (and doing almost no mistakes) to not using it (and doing many more mistakes).
BTW it took me months after moving to North Wales to say diolch for the first time in a shop because I was too afraid that my ch is not good enough.
The whole SSiW is a huge step out of comfort zone for me but I feel that it is exactly what I need to to do to be able to speak to real people one day. And doing it, persevering, feels good.

13 Likes
#16

There is something very relaxing about going through a challenge. I’ve started the Spanish now as well. They ARE very addicting.

Anna, what state are you in? I’m in Oklahoma.

3 Likes
#17

Good on you Vickie!

Some people spend a fortune trying to find something relaxing—and maybe never succeed. Isn’t it great to realize what works, then to just do it.

Hwyl,
Mari

2 Likes
#18

Hi again Anna,

You make some brilliant, beautiful observations about life on this Forum, and describe so well the sheer pleasure of reading about how folk welcome and help each other here. Thank you for putting into words what many others must feel, perhaps without knowing it, because by naming the joy is a really valuable insight that lets others acknowledge and revel in it too.

Learning has both a personal, solitary component in terms of how we each approach it and have to dig deep at times to press on when we feel baffled or frustrated, but the ‘community of learners/speakers’ here reminds us we are not alone. Ask a question and bingo, folk leap in with answers, while others chime in ‘Oh, I wondered about that myself’. Then there is the amazing encouragement and subtle humour in the lessons that makes me feel good no matter if I can’t get some word or phrase to stick yet. It will come.

You are following your passion, your dream and that’s the secret to this, and maybe even if you cannot get to Wales, it will come to you—it already is.

There was a post on the Forum about Welsh becoming an international language, but maybe we should think bigger to it becoming the language that will be used in every corner of the world to spread mutual respect, love and joy! I reackon we have a head start because folk here are already doing it and we come from all over.

All the best,
Mari

4 Likes
#19

What a great thrill it is reading about your experience—and truth be told I used to close the door to avoid my husband listening too :blush: Nowadays he plugs into Japanese while I do my Welsh.

Good for you to go outside your comfort zone—have fun!

Hwyl,
Mari

5 Likes
#20

Mari, thank you so much for taking the time to write those kind words. They really touched me, and this:

made me a bit emotional!

I just love this! Never mind a million Welsh speakers - bring on the whole world! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Thank you again, Mari, you are the perfect example of the beauty, kindness and joy that happen in this very special place. Diolch, ffrind!/Thank you, friend!

6 Likes