Words, Words, Words

Lord Polonius: What do you read my lord?

Hamlet: Words, words, words.

How many times have I heard people tell me that words are weapons, that words can be used to kill as surely as a weapon, etc. There's a meme going around on Facebook. I don't remember who's in it. It's been a while since I saw it. But it's someone saying “Take a plate. Throw it to the ground and break it. Now tell it you're sorry. Is it still broken?”

These are all good sentiments, and something we need to remember. There's a big push for a stand against bullying. I get that and I fully support it. But what about words that heal? How often has a kind word made your day better, a gentle word easing pain, a funny joke to make us laugh. We use soothing words to calm a crying infant.

“I love you.”

“Take a deep breath.”

“You're beautiful no matter what.”

“If you smile, it'll chase the frownies away.”

“I believe in you.”

“If you don't stop beating yourself up, I'm going to tickle you until you pee your pants.”

I've heard all of these at one point or another in the last fifteen years. (And more, but I'm not going to give you every quote of Himself's that made me smile.) I've spent a good chunk of my life hurting from my childhood. Hearing these things, hearing him repeat some of them more than once, they help me heal from the emotional scars.

I try not to say anything that will hurt someone else. I'm human. I fail at it. I don't go out of my way to say hurtful things but it happens. I can't take them back. What I can do is show that person through more words, and actions, that I do care. I'm showing that I want to make them feel better.

Can you think of something someone's said that made you feel better at just the right moment? Have you ever made someone else feel better with just a word?