I have been trying to teach Sami greetings in several different languages, just for the heck of it. He seems to pick up words in foreign languages with far more ease than I would have given him credit for. I totally discovered this by accident, from a Little Einsteins book from the bargain section at Borders which introduces a dizzying array of instruments from around the world.

To my amazement, he says words like “Shakuhachi” and “Ka ‘Eke ‘Eke” without a struggle, even with joy. In my creaky, conditioned, old mind, I assume that pronouncing words in languages other than the native tongue should be a laborious thing. He teaches me the amazing quality of beginner’s mind, where there are no limitations. He’s simply having fun with the sounds his mouth can make.

So, back to the greetings — thus far we are working on “Konichiwa,” “Shalom” and “Al-Salamu Aleikum.” However, when I tried to teach him “Namaste,” he kept pronouncing it “Mamaste” and I decided I liked that better.

Mamaste — the mother in me bows to the mother in you.