may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
whoever came up with this phrase has obviously never truly lived. because reality is, words do hurt. and they hurt a lot.
something i really struggle with is mean people. people who say mean things with the specific intention of causing pain to others. i wholeheartedly understand hurt people hurt others, and their words are merely a projection of their inner pain, but that awareness doesn’t prevent you from internalising the sting in those words.
as my aunt said, someone can chop off your arm and be extremely apologetic for chopping off your arm, but at the end of the day, now you have no arm. words are no different. someone can lash out at you and be extremely apologetic, but the damage has already been done. those words, that energy, it exists in the universe now. and it’s an energy that isn’t serving, it’s an energy that is destructive.
just because you’re hurting, that doesn’t excuse you for hurting others. because within that hurt, you’re causing more hurt. words can be scarring. so next time you feel like giving a tongue lashing, stop. breathe. and ask yourself if what you’re about to say is helpful or harmful. use your words to serve, not destroy. choose words that heal, not harm. and remember, that other person? they’re a human too.