For Good Measure

I still remember the first time I read the word “lagniappe.”  I remember completely butchering the word, too.  I saw it printed on the end of the Evangeline Maid bread bag.  Oh, I sure did love when my mom would buy Evangeline Maid bread.  It was so soft.  If my mom bought Evangeline Maid, there was no doubt she bought it at the discount bread store, as it was a pricier bread at the regular grocery store.  And there on the packaging was the word, “lagniappe.” I know for sure I stared at the word, tried to sound it out in my head, and then tried saying it out loud.  

Finally, I asked.

“Mom…what does lag-nap mean?”

Thankfully, my mom was familiar with the word and she told me it was pronounced “lan-yap,” and it means “a little extra.” Basically, the loaves of bread she was buying was the “bonus” or “family” size.  What I heard was, there’s more bread in this package than the other, so please, make another sandwich! Look, when you are one of seven kids, you get excited anytime there’s “a little extra” of anything!

When I was older, the only time I would see that word was on a local monthly circular in my hometown. You know, one of those free magazine-like publications you can pick up on your way out of the grocery store or in the entrance to some restaurants.  It is called “Lagniappe.”  You can count on the latest local in-depth stories whether it be about the new police chief, a local chef making a homecoming and opening a new restaurant, or the current entertainment lineup up at the various local festivals.  To this day, I make sure to pick one up anytime I am visiting…just to read up on all the little “extras.”

Today, “lagniappe” has become the little extra I need in my day-to-day.

I was ecstatic when my hubby gifted to me a small bronze ring I had my eye on.  The ring looks like a small ruler, and it says “lagniappe” on one side and “for good measure” on the other.  It was a gift for our 18th anniversary we celebrated in January. The ring itself was a little extra as my hubby had already bought for me the gift he wanted me to have, but he included this little ring as well as he knew I really wanted it.  I absolutely fell in love with it!

At the time, I had been thinking about what my word of the year was going to be.  I had been praying about a few different words, but I hadn’t come up with anything that really lit a fire.  I was looking for something that would help me make a difference for others, even if in the smallest ways.  And that’s when I read the ring again…“lagniappe”…“for good measure.”

I thought, what if I could give a little extra?  What if I could do a little more?  What if at the end of the day I could do one more thing? What if I could somehow help one more person? What if I could do my best to make someone’s day just a little bit better?  What if I could find the time to give a little bit more to myself, too?

And there you have it, I committed myself to giving and doing just a little bit more…you know, for good measure.

When I feel like I have done all I can do in one day but then one of the girls ask if I can braid her hair…I crack my knuckles, grab a brush, and I braid.

When I just want to sit down to dinner but one of the little kids asks if we can eat out on the porch instead…I gather the plates and carry out the food and we eat on the porch.

When I run into the store to hurry and pick up a few things and I run into a friend…I stop what I am doing and we catch up and we visit.

When I think I might have a little bit of quiet time and my phone rings, I see who it is, and I know it must be serious because she usually just texts…I pick up and I listen.

When I know I have a few extra minutes in bed before the kids wake up but I also know my husband will be late if he has to make his own breakfast…I get up and I help him get out of the door on time.

When I am completely exhausted and ready to crawl into bed but the big kids ask if I will stay up to watch a movie with them…I forego the sleep and spend time doing what they want to do.

And every now and again, just for me, I find a little extra time, a little extra snack, or give myself a little extra treat.

Truth be told, I would bet a hundred bucks my family has no idea this is my word or that I have done anything that could be considered “extra.” There’s nothing fancy or frilly about what I have been doing.  But for me, the magic is in the meaning behind it all.  For every little tee-tiny, otherwise unnoticeable thing I do, it’s like a special little gift I am giving without anyone even knowing.  

The truth is, I bet there’s quite a bit others do for us and we don’t even realize it. The truth is, I think we all need to give and get a little extra from time to time.  The truth is, a little lagniappe can go a long way!