The tongue has no bones but is strong enough to break a heart. ~ Unknown

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

Or I am rubber, you are glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.

But is that true? Is that our experience?

As children we were taught those verses.

They were meant to toughen us up.

To not care so much about what others thought of us.

Even now, as adults we hear that, “What others think of me, is none of my business.”

But words are powerful.

They have the power to encourage, to lift someone up.

They also have the power to destroy, to tear someone down.

Shouldn’t we choose our words carefully?

Or is it possible to be too careful? To NOT say something that needs to be said?

To fail to correct a behavior, for example?

Maybe it is not the words we…