Sticks and Stones

When I was a kid, all the parents taught their kids to say "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." It wasn't exactly true, the words still hurt your feelings, but the thought is a nice one, that words can't hurt you.

The technology of today has many, many benefits. It helps in all areas of our daily lives. Technology also has it's down side. Spoken words can hurt feelings, but they are usually said once, maybe in anger or in teasing. Typed words are repeated over and over and over. Typed words tend to be harsher than spoken words. It's easier to say harsh words in type than it is to say those words face to face.

My daughter is a freshman in high school. Yesterday a friend of hers committed suicide. It seems this boy was bullied. Bullying isn't something new, it happens in communities all over. You hear the stories on the news. It's sad. It's not right. Freshman should not be going to funerals for friends.

Are we as parents so busy with our daily life that we don't realize our kids are hurting? Are we so distracted that we don't notice our kids harassing another kid? Have we as a society put such a stigma on asking for help, that kids simply try to handle things themselves? Have we given our kids so much, so instantly, that they want a quick solution to end their teenage pain? Have we allowed teasing to go so far that kids feel tortured? We need to find a solution. Too many young people are mistreating others. Too many young people are ending their lives too early.

Sticks and stones will most definitely break bones. But what we are learning is that words can kill. Choose your words carefully. Hug your kids. Tell the people in your life you love them.