Sticks and Stones
Do you remember that rhyme from the playground, which said ‘words will never hurt me’. It’s not always true. Words have such incredible power, and there’s one comment which was made to me which has stuck with me more powerfully than any physical ‘injury’ I’ve ever had. Sometimes it’s the words that are said, sometimes it’s where the words come from. And sometimes it’s a combination of the two. Words have immense power, and they can be used to inspire every emotion under the sun. There are times when one nice comment can lift your mood after a terrible week. There are comments from friends which make you laugh until you cry. There are words that remind you of treasured moments. There are novels which people re-read again and again to be whisked away to another world. There are non-fiction books to educate, to teach and to inspire. But there are words which hurt. They cause a pain that feels almost physical. And sometimes we say words which ha...