A Word, Please.....

I have been watching everyone's postings on FaceBook and in the mainstream media about the current senseless tragedy in Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Peoples' posts alternate between prayers and sympathy for those lost, kudos to teachers and service personnel who were heroes, and then the inevitable cry for more gun control and more laws to prevent things like this.

I will take the prayers and offer some of my own.  I will praise the people who put the lives of others above their own.  However, people thinking more laws of any type will prevent something like this are completely misguided. We, as brothers and sisters of the human race, need to watch our words.

YES, I said WORDS, people. Remember the old playground adage "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me"? Our parents told us that to toughen us up in grade school. Just like some people are more sensitive to certain foods or allergens, some people are more sensitive to words.  People who have been told they are stupid or worthless their entire lives may grow up believing it...or they may take that misery thrust upon them and do amazing things.  Neglected and abused children may seek love at any cost or grow up to neglect and abuse others.  The same with hatred and violence.  WORDS.

We don't know what could have been inside the mind of this horribly misguided soul. He obviously wasn't seeking notoriety, as he took his own life. More that likely, once things were set in motion in his mind, there is nothing anyone could have done to stop it.  He wanted other people to feel the sadness and misery that was a part of his own life and went about it the way society had shown him was acceptable. Every time there is something that happens like this, the media creates a firestorm and seems to glorify those who kill. And that in itself is almost as disgusting as the act itself.  And the fact that some people just soak it up and want more of it makes me fear for our race.

BUT...there is something we can ALL do that may prevent something like this from happening again in the future. And it costs nothing but a bit of conscious effort. And all it takes is words.  YES, I said WORDS, people.

Kind words.

Loving words.

Motivating words.

Honest words.

Respectful words.

Stand up and be counted words.

Words that make a difference. 

Words that cry for change, even when everyone around you sits silent.

We all know these words, but for some reason, we have forgotten how to use a lot of them. I tell my children, "the choices you make are the choices you keep". That includes the words you choose to use, because once they escape your lips -- your weapon of choice -- you can't call them back.  And sometimes sorry is as useless as a band-aid on a broken arm. Because sorry is still words, sometimes empty words.  Because sometimes the damage is done from the first syllable, the first harsh gaze, the first unconscionable act. Because you don't have a choice what people do with your words once you give them away.  Your words, depending on how they are delivered, can be a burden or a blessing.  People with malevolent motives can also twist them, turning a casually delivered opinion into a sharp-edged weapon of misery in an instant.

So what now, humans?  I say humans, because tragedies like this don't just occur on American soil.  It is a world-wide problem. It is a human problem. 

We need more respect. 

We need more love and concern for others.

We need faith.

We need people who don't twist our words to hurt others. 
(Sadly, this in and of itself is probably responsibly for more misery than directly hateful words).

We don't need more media glorifying violence and ugly things.

We don't need more laws, because broken people will still break them.  Laws only work for rational people.  And I think you will agree that this was irrational behavior at he highest level.

I went to school to become a teacher, even though it is not my current profession.  One of the most amazing stories to come from this recent tragedy is one of a first grade teacher who herded 15 children into a small bathroom. She told them to be silent. She barricaded the door. Of all the things she did to keep them safe, the last one is the most beautiful to me.  She used words.  She spoke softly. She wiped tears. She told them she loved them. She told a reporter afterwards that if they were going to die, she did not want gunfire to be the last thing they heard.  She wanted them to know they were loved.  And the children believed her not because they feared for their lives, but more than likely because this teacher truly DID love those children and showed it every day.

You read this today either because you were interested, needed solace, wanted to hear another opinion, or maybe you were just bored.  So since you are here at the end, you now have an assignment.  Homework, as it were.  Because I am a teacher by nature.

Go outside yourself today and weave a web of words.  Captivate people with your kindness.  Find beauty in things you may have missed out on by blindly going through life, just getting by.   Forgive those who have wronged you and accept forgiveness from others.  Give love.  Accept love. Give away a smile to someone who doesn't have one. Be the change in the world.  And through this, you, too will be changed. For good.

You truly never know how your words will affect those around you.  I am hoping mine have had a positive effect on you today.  Feel free to share them with others, if you will.  Just writing this helped me feel better, and if you know anyone who can be helped by what I have had to say, then be kind and share it. Yes, I said words, people. A lot of them. And I am glad I did. :)