pet

This is a simple word, our shortest yet, but certainly not lacking in connotation. At its most straightforward, it means a kept animal, more specifically an animal that is kept more for companionship or enjoyment than for some more blatantly practical purpose. Though the word has more than one meaning and is more than one part of speech, there is a common thread, that of affection, throughout them all. We all have projects hanging over our heads, but to say "pet project" is to endow a task with an air of enjoyment, to refer to a potentially unnecessary effort one undertakes for pleasure. This thread of affection extends, of course, into the verb form, as in the case of "petting" in both its sexual and more innocent uses. Both imply a communication of affection via the sense of touch, an emotional mindset, a level of understanding. The action says something about the actor, just as pet ownership is an endeavor ventured upon nearly exclusively by folks with a certain mental something, a desire to commune with another kind of being, or on behalf of a child who still sees some wonder in doing so.

EDIT: "Serene" may be an exception to this week's theme, I'm not sure. Ignore it, just in case. So I'm still getting used to the theme thing, sue me. I'll tell you the theme in Monday's entry; in the meantime, feel free to venture a guess, educated or otherwise.