Think Before it's Too Late

Feathers on the Wind

I read a story once that compared gossip to feathers. Once feathers are caught up on the wind and tossed to and fro, they cannot be captured nor can we stop them from traveling. Once words have been said they are gone; not that they do not exist, but they are not within our control. We cannot stop them, nor can we remove the imprint they have made upon those who have heard them. Have you ever sent an email only to wish you had worded it differently? Once you have pressed "send" you are forever attached to those words. Choose carefully. Let your words be instruments of peace, love and instruction; not discord, pain, and destruction.

Particularly hurt over a verbal attack awhile back, I penned:

Piercing, stabbing, the blows kept coming
Could he hear her heart loudly drumming?
Faster, more furious, the words were pelting
Her careful poise was surely melting

How could she stop her emotions from showing
When her tears were overflowing?
His face contorted now in rage
She just wanted to turn the page

To see ahead to the stories end
And know if life would be right again.
by Judy Sheldon-Walker

Clever Comebacks or Emotional Growth?

Long ago I used to think I was clever when I could come up with the fast comeback to put someone in their place. In fact I thought I really had it "together" when I told my then boyfriend to "check himself or be by himself". Cute and clever put downs were part of my repertoire. It was after I dusted myself off after a particularly painful break up and reflected upon how I behaved that I realized that hurting someone is not conducive to emotional growth or maintaining a healthy relationship. After all a relationship of one can be lonely, but sometimes a relationship of two can be even lonelier.