in•ef•fa•ble [in-ef’-uh-buhl] adj.

1. incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable. Synonym: unspeakable

2. not to be uttered; taboo

3. too great or intense to be expressed in words; unutterable

4. too sacred to be uttered

5. indescribable; indefinable (source: The Free Dictionary)

Ineffability relates to that which cannot or should not be expressed with words. Ineffability can refer to an idea that is either incomprehensible or taboo. Something that is ineffable might deal “with philosophy, aspects of existence, and similar concepts that are inherently too great, complex, or abstract to be adequately communicated. In addition, illogical statements, principles, reasons, and arguments are intrinsically ineffable along with impossibilities, contradictions, and paradoxes.” (Wikipedia)

I ran across “ineffable” when I was looking up definitions of love, including agape love, love that is spiritual in nature, such as love of a brother for a sister, the love of life-long friends. Even in romantic relationships, agape love can be what evolves or remains when lust mellows or fades.

In the pre-dawn hours of a chilly mid-January morning, a crisis moved me to begin thinking of all the people who loved me, whose love had stood the test of time, of changed circumstances. Those who stood by me, those I could lean on.

If we are lucky, we all have a person——or two or three——who will answer the phone if we call at 3 a.m. A few, just a few, people in my life have been rocks, solid anchors that have withstood the ebbs and flows of time. To them I have the deepest gratitude, the highest respect, the greatest love.

To be such a person in the lives of others seems a worthy goal, a way to make a difference in a world that it is constantly changing.

Closing quotes:

“How can I be sure? In a world that’s constantly changing. How can I be sure where I stand with you?” — Written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati. Song originally recorded by The Young Rascals in a 1967 album Groovin’, which peaked on the charts at #4.

“True stability results when presumed order and presumed disorder are balanced. A truly stable system expects the unexpected, is prepared to be disrupted, waits to be transformed.” — Tom Robbins, American novelist; born 1936.

“The shifts of Fortune test the reliability of friends.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman lawyer, writer, scholar, orator, and statesman; 106 BC-43 BC.