What's in a word...

Words are a lot more than than their dictionary definition. They allow us to express our thoughts, certainly, but they also allow us to express emotions like love, gratitude, and compassion. We often say things that we don't really mean, for example, I might say, "I hate spiders." I don't really hate spiders; it's more that I don't enjoy their taste. As a writer, I select my written words with great care, taking into consideration, among other things, the subject matter and the age of my intended reader. We need to be just as careful with the spoken word, too. We've all listen to speakers who use talk in a monotone. No matter how wonderful their message might be, they usually put us to sleep. A vibrant, animated speaker, on the other flipper, can fully engage us even if his message isn't all that intereting to us. Words need expressions to bring them to life. Just imagine how it would feel to have someone tell you how much they love you but in a monotone voice and with no expression on their face. You'd have a hard time believing it, wouldn't you? 
Humans (and a few frogs) are blessed with the ability to express joy, sadness, love, and so much else...through verbal and non-verbal speech. Words can inspire us, or make us feel bad. When we use words to express our true selves, creativity and light springs forth from us. But when we use words to wound, we close off our ability to communicate from the heart, which is our authentic self. Choose your words with care and, whenever possible, put genuine emotion in to them. Language is a gift; be grateful for it and treat it with respect...like any other gift that you cherish.