The Power of Words

I've finally got my hands on The Help and have been enjoying it immensely any spare moment I can find. A few days ago, I came across this excerpt and knew I needed to write it down so I would always remember:

She say, "Mae Mo bad."

The way she say it, like it's a fact, make my insides hurt.

"Mae Mobley," I say cause I got a notion to try something. "You a smart girl?"

She just look at me, like she don't know.

"You a smart girl," I say again.

She say, "Mae Mo smart."

I say, "You a kind little girl?"

She just look at me. She two years old. She don't know what she is yet.

I say, "You a kind girl," and she nod, repeat it back to me. But before I can do another one, she get up and chase that poor dog around the yard and laugh and that's when I get to wondering, what would happen, if I told her she something good, ever day? . . .

After while, Mae Mobley come over and press her cheek up to mine and just hold it there, like she know I be hurting. I hold her tight, whisper, "You a smart girl. You a kind girl, Mae Mobley. You hear me?" And I keep saying it till she repeat it back to me. (The Help, p. 92)

It's so easy for us to forget the power of words. Now that I have a child who is just beginning life with a clean slate, I have been reminded of how important it is to watch what I say. I want Miss G to be built up by my words, not torn down. I also want her to hear my words building up others rather than tearing them down.

It's easy now to encourage Miss G. She is surrounded by people who tell her she is the cutest, smartest, best baby in the world. But I know my desire will be challenged when she gets older. It won't be so easy to follow when she spills the milk for the hundredth time or makes a masterpiece with permanent marker on her bedroom wall. 

In the same way, as she comprehends more and more of what I say, it will be difficult for me to always say positive things about people. I don't want to be an example of a person who snaps at her daddy or badmouths others. I want her to see the value in positively encouraging others, whether in their presence or not. I want her to understand the power of her words and what they can do to help people.

Just like Aibileen, I want to tell Miss G, and others in my life, that they are something good every day.