The Danger of Words

A lot of times, we say something we wish we never had.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will never hurt me.

This is such a false statement. No matter how strong you are, a harsh word from someone you love always has the power to slice your heart into little bits. And no matter how much you apologize later and even though you have been forgiven for those harsh words, that person will always remember the pain those words have inflicted. There is no rewind and delete buttons when we say something.

Words spoken in haste and carelessness can sometimes, even after years have passed, suddenly catch you unaware and you just have to sit down and clutch at your heart until the pain subsides.

This then begs the question of what is there to do? I believe we cannot always prevent ourselves from expressing what we feel at that moment, anger, frustration, disappointment, but we can try to count to 10 before we say anything. In this way, somehow, it gives us an opportunity to calm down a bit and think our words through before we make them weapons of pain.