Whoever came up with “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is seriously delusional. I, personally, have never had a stick or stone thrown at me. However, there is not a shortage of mean words that have been spoken to me.

In the case of hateful speech, words definitely are mightier (or do more damage) than a sword. Words may not cut through your flesh but they cut through your confidence, heart, and soul. Wounds from words cannot be healed with some peroxide and a bandage. These wounds don’t take days, but rather years to heal.

Some never do.

Many people may cover up their wound but never fully address it and allow it to become a weakness.The wounds may not change our physical appearance, but they greatly batter our inner-selves.

Words have a ripple effect. They first stab at a person and give them a quick stinging feeling. Then they sink down into the person’s gut. Then they reach someone’s brain where they hide until that person is lying in bed at 2 a.m. not able to sleep.

Words shape people. For better or for worse. How many times have you been encouraged to speak something into existence? The same idea goes for words. Only so many times can someone be called ugly before they are incapable of seeing themselves as anything else.

There was a time where words were used for art and poetry. They were an attempt to describe the beauty of the world and one another and put it on paper. Now words are filled with hate and used as killers instead of creators. Moments may fade, but words can last forever.

Words have the power to hurt, but they also have the power to heal. It takes a coward to spew hate, but someone with real courage to spread kindness even in the face of darkness.

So no, sticks and stones don't break my bones, but words can definetly hurt me.