Move over Emoji's, Texts, and Meme's
I love you. You are beautiful. You can do this!
These words were music to my ears as I completed the last leg of the 2012 Iron Girl competition in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. They came from four of my nursing students who had volunteered on race day and were waiting at the last aid station. At this stage of the game, I was tired and the only thing I wanted was to make sure I finished the race. I was so pleased to see their faces and hear their words! They HAD been listening in their nursing course on caring for women during labor and delivery. On that beautiful September day, they “translated to practice” the common thread between giving birth and completing one’s first triathlon.
WELL-TIMED WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT ARE LIFE-GIVING.
Words are pretty amazing, aren’t they? Words we tell ourselves. Words we tell others. Words we speak to children. Words we speak to spouses, and partners and parents and friends; to co-workers and family members and strangers. Words we speak to the dying. Words we speak to those who are grieving. Words we speak to those celebrating. Words we speak to those who are alone.
Words are powerful. They fall like gentle rain and crash like thunderstorms. They bring healing to a dry soul and deflate a mood like a needle to a balloon. Words trickle like streams and rush like raging rivers.
IN THIS DAY OF TEXT MESSAGES AND EMOJIS AND MEMES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, I FIND THAT THE SPOKEN WORD HAS BECOME MORE OFTEN, A VEHICLE OF FUNCTION; NOT A PURPOSEFUL INTENTION TO ADD VALUE TO OTHERS.
Here’s a challenge for all of us. The average person speaks 7,000 words a day and I KNOW some of us speak much more than that! CHOOSE to speak life. Speak truth. Speak healing. Speak connection. Speak love. Speak to those who are laboring and to those who are celebrating. Speak to those who are thirsty and tired and to those who are going about their day quietly navigating their story. Find a way to say, I love you. I am proud of you. You matter. You are seen. You can do “THIS” …this life…this hard thing…this fun thing…this easy thing…this joyful thing…this scary thing. I know THIS is something I can do better in my life.
Emojis and memes and text messages…there is a place for you. But move over! It’s high time for some good, old-fashioned spoken words! So here you go…
I LOVE YOU. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. YOU CAN DO THIS!
Written By Catherine Fuller