I am grateful for the gift of words. As a writer, a reader, a poet and lyricist, a player of scrabble and all kinds of letter games, I love words. I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of words. Just yesterday the news was full of the story about a female legislator in Michigan who was banned from speaking on the house floor because she had used the word “vagina” during a speech on the floor the previous day. Apparently you can’t use that particular word on the house floor in the Michigan statehouse–at least not how she used it. Now she and another colleague (also female) are banned “indefinitely” from addressing the members of the Michigan legislature about any matter at all, whether it mentions vaginas or not. That’ll show them for not using their words properly.
Words have the power to hurt, to heal, to build up, to tear down, to uplift, inspire, empower, entertain…so much power. In and of themselves they can be quite harmless, but once they are picked up, forged and wielded incertain ways, all manner of things good or ill can happen.
I have tried, throughout much of my life to use words carefully. Like most people I’ve said many hurtful things, things I’ve regretted almost as soon as I’ve said or written them (hitting “send” on an email I wish I could have gotten back.) As I’ve gotten older I am much more aware of the power of words, but all too often still fail to use them as kindly and thoughtfully as I might wish. Nevertheless, it is something to constantly aspire to. I spend much more time in intentional prayer or well-wishing for others. It’s a good thing, sending positive energy out in the direction of various beings–including myself, my loved ones, people I have some relationship with, people with whom I have problems, and eventually every living thing human or otherwise. I think sometimes about what the world would be like if everyone did that, or if not everyone, at least 1 in 5 people around the world. Do you think the planet might be a little different than it is right now? Hmmmm.
I don’t think I have the power to change the whole world with my words, but I might have the power to change some of it–my world at least. If by writing this blog every day I get more people thinking about and acting on elements of gratitude and thankfulness in their lives, that’s a small start. Oprah Winfrey started a gratitude “game” on Facebook and I suspect she reaches a few more people than I do, but hey, every little bit helps, no?
I have not run out of words on this subject, but I have run out of energy, so I will close. I am grateful for having the physical and mental capacity to read, write, and understand words and the emotional and spiritual capacity to realize the importance of using them wisely. May I continue to grow in wisdom and compassion in the way that I use my words. So may we all!
