I've used the verb forefend for a long time. I've always liked it. It's an old word, meaning to ward off, avert, protect against, or prevent something from happening.

And I've recently found myself needing a noun for the experience. If I am presently engaged in the act of forefending myself against something, then surely I am engaged in forfense.

Forfense. There it is. A neologism, at least as far as I know.

I believe I've coined at least one other word: eupan, the act of doing good for the all. The intentional participation in the flourishing of everyone, everywhere. A lovely aspiration, I think.

And yet, curiously, perhaps unfortunately, I find myself increasingly engaged in the work of forfense. Not simply defending against what has happened, but actively working to prevent what might otherwise do harm.

There is something rather ironic about this. My life's work is peacebuilding, the flourishing of humanity, the cultivation of goodness in my own life and in the lives of others. And yet, sometimes, doing good for the all requires the rather less pleasant work of warding off harm.

Perhaps these two neologisms belong together.

Eupan names the good toward which I labor. Forfense names some of the work required along the way.

I would rather spend my days cultivating peace than preventing harm. But perhaps, for now, I must do both.

And so, I remain committed to eupan, even while finding myself engaged in forfense.