Words

For some reason, the older you get, the more your words matter. As a kid, you get a lot of leeway in what you say. Sometimes being young lets you “get away” with comments that get brushed off as just something a kid would say. But as you grow up, those same words don’t get passed over so easily — and more importantly, the responsibility for what you say changes. As an adult, you’re accountable not just for your actions, but for your words. A complaint, a criticism, a careless opinion — it all carries more weight than it used to.

Words are powerful in a way that’s easy to forget, because they feel free and temporary. But they’re not. A kind word can lift someone for a whole day. A cruel one can stick with a person for years — sometimes for life. You probably remember something hurtful someone said to you long ago, word for word, even if they forgot it the moment it left their mouth. That’s how much weight words carry.

So I encourage you to start now — measure your words before you speak them, especially with the people you love most. The people closest to you are the easiest to wound, precisely because they’ve let you in. Your words to me can hurt, and mine to you can too. Be aware of what you’re saying and why you’re saying it.

So many people hurt others, or get hurt themselves, over unkind and flippant words that a little extra care and maturity could have avoided completely. Choose your words like they matter — because they do. And when you get it wrong (you will, we all do), be quick to ask forgiveness. Few things repair a relationship faster than a sincere “I was wrong. Please forgive me.”