Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating a place to share our Slice of Life. Read more slices or add you own here.
As bloggers and writers, we understand the power of words. It is serendipitous that I am writing this post on NCTE's National Day of Writing when many are thinking about the power of words.
We know that words heal and words hurt.
They make us laugh and make us cry.
They move us forward yet keep us marking time.
They can hold us hostage, and they can set us free.
Words matter.
Last week I was going through some old emails and came across one that was sent to me two years ago by a former colleague. I thought about deleting it then and have considered deleting it many times since. But for some reason, I haven't.
When I received the email two years ago, I was confused because these words were not typical of the person who sent them. I respected her as a colleague and as my own children's teacher, so I did not understand and wanted some answers.
The next day I walked down to her classroom.
I left in tears.
The words hurt.
Words matter.
I wanted to believe she didn't really mean the words she said to me that day. She was going through a rough time professionally. Sadly, she was hurting as many veteran teachers do in their last years of teaching. I seemed to inadvertently be the cause of the pain, as many new teachers are.
I wanted to believe those words were coming from the pain inside, not from her heart. But the year ended, she retired, and I moved schools. Our words became silent.
Words matter.
Ironically, I ran into her last week. The silence was broken, and we both said words I wished we would have said a long time ago.
I came home and deleted the email. The one I should have deleted a long time ago.
Yes, words matter.
I'm so glad you found your colleague again. With understanding and brave hearts, words can repair.
ReplyDeleteLovely post. Glad to see your words. They matter.
I am glad you were finally able to let go of the past. Sometimes it might be better not to say anything. At other times speaking is the only way resolve issues.Words matter - both the spoken and unspoken.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad for your closure and a new phase of your relationship. You are so right about words. They can hurt as much as "sticks and stones" unlike the children's rhyme suggests. You created wonderful tension throughout your piece.
ReplyDeleteThis such a powerful piece of writing. I love the fact that the short snippets give us enough of an idea without you actually having to walk us through everything that happened. This was a lovely reminder that words carry weight--for better or worse.
ReplyDeleteWords Matter and so I am glad that you deleted the email and found the words to make things right again, Leigh Anne.
ReplyDeleteWords are powerful. This post serves as a reminder that we need to be careful with our words. The post also shows that simple words can lead to change and great things. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYes, words matter - beautiful post, Leigh Anne!
ReplyDeleteSo often we speak before we think and our words cause pain. Words are extremely powerful.
ReplyDeleteWords do matter and the way you wove yours today reminded us in a powerful way. So many lessons here to take to heart. I am glad you shared them, Leigh Anne.
ReplyDeleteA powerful post about the power of our words. I love the way you used "Words matter" to frame the parts of your story. And so glad that you were able to break the silence and say words to each other that moved you from hurting to healing.
ReplyDelete