The Power of Words

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” Audrey Hepburn.

Dear Palabras,

The first thing that you should know about me, is that I love words. I didn’t always love, I used to carelessly fling them around when laughing with my best friend, or yelling at my brother. That was the before, that was another life. Now I can’t understand the words people say around me, or understand why they don’t carefully choose them. I never thought how important it is to understand words. I am in America, a word which to me used to always mean hope, but now it means confusion.

I often will walk to the library, and opens books, to spend time with the words. I think they like it when somebody just sits, and runs their fingers over them, imagining what each word has the potential to do. I like the library, nobody speaks gibberish, words are preserved on paper, and the quiet helps for the words to gently come and tap you on the shoulder. School isn’t like that, someone must always be using words, phrases, and sentences. The words must coming streaming out of someone’s mouth, or be pounded or caress certain students. I wonder if words ever get tired of it?

I often try to find a quiet space to just be. Back in Juárez, some people would use words like “shy” or “introvert” to describe me; I kind of like those words. It means that I carefully choose which words to gift to certain people, at which time. Those words don’t matter here, though, nobody knows me well enough to say those things. At home Mamá and Papá, say words like, “I love you”, I cherish those words. Today, I was walking down the hall, when I bumped into someone.

“Lo siento!” I quickly said, as I tried to get up.

Amazingly, this boy knew a bit of Español, and we started to talk. Towards the end of our conversation, as he walked down the hall, he spoke these words, the same words I have entertained over and over again in my mind,

“Adios mi amiga, hasta luego!”

How I love those words!