“Sticks and Stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me..”

(Children’s Nursery Rhyme)

Words are powerful.

I was reminded of that after my last blog post. The piece was a fictionalized account about when my husband was diagnosed with cancer four years ago. The night I posted it, I was tired and realized that a new entry was due. So, I went into my archives and picked that short story out. Another reason for using it was that I had submitted it to an e-zine and they rejected it.  I wanted to publish it.

The reaction from that piece was humbling. Several people emailed me or called to ask if my husband was okay. They offered their support and prayer.

I was really touched. And a little guilty.

I should have put a disclaimer on the piece and explained why I used it. In a way, I feel that my words played with my friends’ emotions in a way that was unintended.

It reminded me of  the power of words. Words do wound and heal and build and destroy. That is why we have to be so careful with them.

People who write and speak use words as a currency. We see  that in politics all the time. But we also do that in our day-to-day relationships. In a way we are all politicians of a sort, using words to smooth over the rough spots, convince others that we are worthy and to present a persona to the world.

The currency of words can become inflated. Use a word too often and it loses any real meaning—it might as well be a jumble of sounds.

Use a word carefully and the sounds flow, joining us in the human family, allowing us to relate to one another, helping us to understand and be understood, to love and be loved and to make sense of our lives.

I promise to respect the power of words. To handle them carefully. To use them judiciously. To honor the covenant I have entered into with you, the readers of my blog—to never use my words to unfairly manipulate your emotions.

And I am grateful to know that my words do affect you. It is the highest compliment any of you can pay me as a writer.