I've always heard the old saying, ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ Unfortunately, I was reminded the other day that words carry some pretty heavy weight, too.
In a heated moment, I was short with my six-year-old by curtly asking him to leave me alone for a moment. As I watched him walk away with his head dropped low, I could hear his dejected sigh.
I knew that I had messed up.
It's astounding how our words, even in a moment of haste, can have such a profound impact on those we care about most. And yet, we often toss them around without much consideration for their weight.
Reflecting on that moment with my son, I couldn't help but think about the times I've been on the receiving end of someone else's thoughtless words. The pain of rejection, the sting of hurt, the weight of disappointment – these are all too familiar.
However, it's not just the negative words that leave a mark. Words of encouragement, affirmation, and love have the power to charge us up, to give us hope and motivate us to carry on.
The biggest lesson in the interaction with my son wasn’t the weight of words, though. The heaviness wasn’t determined by the words alone, but by who’s words they were.
In a world where words are constantly being thrown around, let's strive to be mindful of their weight and the impact they have on those around us - specifically those closest to us. After all, our words have the power to shape not only our relationships but also the world we live in.