We remember that little ditty our mothers said to us as children….”Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me!” But the fact of the matter is that names DO hurt us! We have to learn to be careful what we say, and often more importantly, HOW we say it.

Words are like ripples on the calm water….they go on for  very long way. Time may erase them to a degree, but the sting of hurtful words are never forgotten totally.

Words said in jest are no better….they can be hurtful to others too. How often we remember what others have said to and about us, as a joke! We don’t forget in a hurry do we!

On the other hand, there are words that build others up, words that are worth listening to and taking notice of. That little old lady sitting in the corner has a wealth of experience behind her….take notice of what she has to tell you. Determine to learn from others’ experiences….don’t be like the teenager who said defiantly to her mother, “I don’t want to learn from your experiences, I want to learn from my own. You’ll be there to pick up the pieces!!”

Let’s make this our New Year’s resolution this year…..learn to be careful what we say and how we say it!