Words. We use approximately 13,000 to 20,000 words a day. The incredible amount of words that we use can make them seem almost meaningless. If we say something hurtful, offensive, or malicious, we think we can fix it. We use more words to take our words back. We may even say the one word that our society tells us will fix everything: sorry. Just say you’re sorry, and magically, everything will be fixed. But sometimes, there are not enough "I’m sorry's" to repair the damage that has already been done.

For me, it was a text. It was probably typed out in less than thirty seconds and sent to me without realizing the hurt that it could cause. I will never forget those words. Those two words, just looming at the end of the text quietly, haunted me every day since.

Yes, these cruel words, for a while, became part of who I thought I was. They became my label. Carrying around this label destroyed my self-esteem, my positive attitude, and my work ethic. I was empty. Luckily, I found other words that could lift me up.

For me, it was a phone call. Probably just a few hundred words of the 20,000 that would be used that day. Un-crafted, but incredibly inspirational and full of love. That sentence, just looming on the other end of the line, quietly nesting in my mind every day since

Words. It could be a text, a phone call, a chat over dinner. They make a difference. I hope my last 284 words did for you.