Mother Teresa said, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." So many of my best memories and most cherished gifts center around kind words. On my wedding day, I received a book full of letters written by the women in my life along with my favorite, one from my husband placed at the very end. Those letters were full of love and encouragement and open the flood gates from which the first of many joyful tears would flow on that day. Many, many summers ago, my best friend Kerry and I went to church camp together in Townsend. After a week of classes and singing, swimming and late night games, we were obviously closer than before. Kerry wrote me a letter, just to let me know how she felt about our friendship, which I still have tucked into an old Bible. During Sunday School when I was a teenager, our teachers taught a lesson where we each picked a Bible verse and turned it into a song. That song and verse will always light up my heart. Shoe boxes in my dad's basement overflow with notes from middle school friends while storage boxes in my own basement are full of wedding, birthday, and just because cards. I go back to those cards, those memories of kind words that were spoken or written or shared just for me. Words energize me.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mother Teresa. The echoes of our words are truly endless. Sometimes we speak those kind words; sometimes we speak destruction. I am guilty of both. Many times, some that I vividly remember, I have spoken hateful, nasty words that I am sure cut the person on the receiving end to the core, and I am not proud of that. We do not often realize the powerful impact of our words, whether good or bad. When I started thinking about what I would do today as my act of giving, two stories kept coming to mind. In college, I destroyed a teammate with careless words. They spewed from my mouth before I realized their implications. She was not even there to hear them herself but I learned how very quickly words travel. One thoughtless remark tarnished our friendship. I have never forgotten how bad those seemingly harmless words hurt my friend that day. I hope their echo ended.
Since that day, I have tried to use my words to build up instead of tear down. A few months ago, my best friend was having a very difficult time and called on me for advice. Instead of speaking, I listened. I empathized with her, comforted her, then I spoke words of truth. I am sure I told her things she did not necessarily want to hear. I also told her that I was always there for her and that I cherished our friendship.
Everything I spoke to her, I spoke out of love. After we talked, we got off the phone and after that night, I really did not think much about our conversation. I had hoped I had chosen the right words, given her what she needed, but never actually realized how much that conversation meant to her. A few weeks later, she mailed me a card just to let me know how much she appreciated my honesty and how much she also valued our friendship. You can imagine my surprise receiving a card from a non-card sending friend. Ironically, the card that she sent was so kind that it brought me to tears. My words had come full circle. That card stays in my bedroom in case I ever need encouragement or reassurance. It is the best gift she has ever given me. Our words DO echo. Those echoes ARE truly endless.
DAILY MOTIVATION:
Wonderful quote to motivate you today! Check out Madeleine Boerma's website for more!
Cori