I was at my local grocery store today and I heard a mother say to her child, “you are so stupid”. How horrible.
I used the title of my blog today, “Nails in a Piece of Wood”, to make a point about words. Words do matter!
When you hammer nails into a piece of wood, or a fence post, you can remove the nails, but the holes remain. The same is true with words. Once spoken they can never be taken back.
I can tell you from personal experience, that you never forget cruel, critical words. They are with you for the rest of your life.
I once had a teacher in elementary school tell me, in front of the entire class, “Why aren’t you as smart as your older sister”. Well, from that day forward I just felt I was stupid, and could never do anything.
Once an immediate family member told me, my sister, and my brother, “you look like bums”. Why? Why would you say that to children?
We were clean, but maybe our clothes were not the best. We were wearing what we had, and what we were given to wear. Granted they were probably hand-me-downs, but was that our fault?
Those two statements have stayed with me and shaped my life in such negative ways. I never felt that I could accomplish anything but a simple office position and I never had any self confidence.
I never believed that I could be successful until much later in my life when I finally realized, I’m OK.
Promoted from my entry level job, up the ladder, to a Manager, I was given a highly visible position, representing my company, traveling, and training for the Quality Department. Many times I was asked to travel on the company jet, and to give presentations to various groups. Why me? Because I was valuable, I knew my job and others did not!
I always spent too much money on clothes, and my appearance, never feeling I looked nice or that I was at all attractive. Another result of cruel words.
In today’s world, hopefully teacher’s cannot say such things to children without being held accountable. Although I never told my parents what the teacher said to me, I guess I was too ashamed, later in my life I did share this with my sister and brother.
I hope that everyone reading this will remember that words do matter and never speak in such horrible ways to children, family members, employees, or anyone. You just may be responsible for the difference in someone’s life.
I am a child of God, and I know I am valuable, and have much to offer in this life that I now love so very much.
Love to all.