They were just a few words. Probably no more than a sentence. Really just a brief statement by a very kind person in a very innocent way. These words stuck with me though.

• They made me think.
• They made me question.
• They made me wonder.
• And at the time, they made me walk away.

My goal for this year has been to get uncomfortable. I thought that meant to have challenging discussions, and maybe sometimes it does. It’s one of the things that I’ve done this year. But sometimes, I think that we can get just as uncomfortable by listening, by hearing another perspective, by taking the time to think, and then by doing what we feel is right … even if it’s not popular.

Maybe I’ll get another chance to speak up. Maybe next time I will, or maybe I’ll stay quiet again. Maybe sometimes our most challenging choices involve knowing when to find our voices, when not to, when to change, and when to stay the same. I know that I’m being evasive here, and for that I’m sorry, but the topic itself doesn’t really matter. The conversation could have been about anything. The experience though reminded me that …

• life isn’t simple.
• there are always multiple points of view.
• sometimes we have to make hard choices.
• and words can be powerful: both positively and negatively.

I can’t help but think back to the childhood rhyme that I heard: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Are we sure about that? Knowing the power of words, what impact does this have on how we choose them? How do we help our children see just how much words matter? 

Aviva