Waiver (n)  a document recording the relinquishing of a right or claim.

Waver (v)  unsteady or unreliable; undecided between two courses of action or opinions.

Waiver and waver sound identical! Both have that long a sound parenthesized by the Wh and er sounds.  Once again it baffles me that the language couldn’t be more original when establishing words for things or actions.  It’s a challenge to explain when my grandson asks why does the word get spelled two different ways yet have the same phonetic sounds.  I try to provide him some very logical structured description and it typically ends with an emoji-type shoulder shrug.

Waiver applies to everyday life if you attempt to do anything fun. There is typically a release of liability attached, otherwise known as a waiver.  So…..many…..waivers.  No one wants to take responsibility for my actions.  I have to sign my life away claiming accountability for my decisions.  I get it.  Who wants to battle in a court of law?  I think a waiver may not be as iron-clad as they scarily appear to be, however, I have not tested the system nor do I plan to anytime soon.  I will continue to sign away with the hopes that I never have to follow-up on the small print my signature is attached to.

The other waver is simply to be undecided.  This happens to me even at the smallest decisions.  Do I want chocolate or strawberry, do I want to go out or stay in for the day, do I want to walk to the lake or through the woods?  We’re surrounded by choices and blessed to have options.  Does having too many options paralyze you to react?  Would it be easier to have someone else decide for you?  I found I struggle when my options were removed.  At one of my jobs they decided it would be a good idea for everyone to wear uniforms.  It was a painful process of branding and trying to create consistency with staff appearance.  Interesting enough, unless there were many options of the branded wear, staff were strongly opposed to giving up the freedom of choosing their daily attire.  I was one who struggled with the change. Perhaps, it is better to have options and hesitate rather than being directed what to do.  The smallest loss of control scares us.  Forfeiture of creativity to choose feels like stifling repression.  I will gladly welcome wavering through options and am grateful that we have so many choices in every facet of our daily routines.

There is a third waver.  This one has just recently been discovered in the last three years.  We’ve all seen them and perhaps, you’re one of them.  It happens at the end of every videoconference meeting. Instead of signing off simply with a smile, a waver is the person seemingly wiping your monitor down with the side-to-side hand motion at the conclusion of Zoom or Teams meetings.  You know the one.  Are you the waver?

As you navigate the day ahead, waive the tendency to waver through the choices and feel free to sign off your meetings with a smile and a wave.