"His stout physique frightened me. He kept his head low so as not to be seen staring at me by Mrs. Natalie. His eyes pierced through me like daggers. Squinting, he narrowed his eyes as he took in my splotchy face and overflowing tears; then without warning he released a vicious smile revealing his nature. His teeth could have easily been sharpened to razor-sharp points and dripping with my blood. It was his mouth that had unleashed the death blow. His words had sharpened his teeth into fangs worse than any vampire ever thought of having." (excerpt; page 51 of Plain Jane by Schledia Benefield)
Tomorrow morning I'm going to be speaking to a group of women who are living in a Transitional Shelter. These are women who for one reason or another have ended up needing someone to help them get back on their feet. I'm far from perfect, and I don't have it all put together. I wish I did, but I get up every morning and I take more steps in the right direction. I can't stand in front of these women and say, "Hey, look at me. Be like me. I know everything, and I never battle the battles you face on a daily basis." No, I can't say anything of the sort. What I can say is this. "I was once a young woman who had been beaten down and thought very little of herself, much like many of you. I never lived in a place like this, but I've been down some rough roads, and I know all too well the pain we've all endured from the power of words!"
You see, much like my character in the book Plain Jane, most of us have dealt with someone speaking words to us that belittles us and makes us feel unworthy of respect and love, and when you feel that way, you often end up doing things and making decisions that keep those wounds open and bleeding, until you get to the point that you've bled out all there is to bleed. At that point you feel that you're nothing more than a walking corpse. Lifeless. It's all gone. The soul within you has died.
People use their words everyday to sharpen their teeth into fangs, and then they do what every vampire does, they go for the jugular and suck the life from those around them. Words are powerful, but just like words can be used to tear you and others down, they can be used to build others up! Choose this day to speak kind words to those you come in contact with. You never know what it might do to lift their spirit.
Blessings,
Schledia
