Sunday Thoughts - The Power of Words

I was recently asked by my congregation to speak at one of our April services about the impact of reading and writing in my life - in honor of Literacy Month.

In preparation for this, I've been thinking a lot about it. My mom swears that I spoke in full sentences at 9 months old, I was reading by 3 years old, and the first word I wrote was soup (not surprising with my love of all things food). Anyone who knows me knows that I read constantly. I am a speed reader, so it's not uncommon for me to read 200-300 books in a year.

The power of reading has saved me. When I was at my worst moments in life, I could escape reality. Books took me to a different world, a world where I could be anything and do anything.

And now when I'm not at my worst, but still very ill, writing has been my escape. Not only through this blog, but through the fiction and non-fiction I've been writing. It has taught me how to better express myself, better choose my words, convey my ideas and share my feelings.

When I think about words, two poems come to mind. The first is the first poem I remember memorizing:

Whether the weather be fine,
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
Or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not!

I used the first lines of this second poem as my quote in high school year book. Even then, the power of words filled me with wonder.

WordsBy Anne SextonBe careful of words,
even the miraculous ones.
For the miraculous we do our best,
sometimes they swarm like insects
and leave not a sting but a kiss.

They can be as good as fingers.
They can be as trusty as the rock
you stick your bottom on.
But they can be both daisies and bruises.

Yet I am in love with words.
They are doves falling out of the ceiling.
They are six holy oranges sitting in my lap.
They are the trees, the legs of summer,
and the sun, its passionate face.

Yet often they fail me.
I have so much I want to say,
so many stories, images, proverbs, etc.
But the words aren't good enough,
the wrong ones kiss me.

Sometimes I fly like an eagle
but with the wings of a wren.
But I try to take care
and be gentle to them.

Words and eggs must be handled with care. 
Once broken they are impossible
things to repair.