What Words Mean to Me?

My relationship with words started out rough. In the first grade I started having lots of trouble reading and saying words. Second grade came around and I tested positive for Dyslexia. This was a huge set back in my relationship with words. I remember all my tests had to be read to me, even word problems in math. So growing up my only real relationship with words was hearing words. So I am a strong believer in encouragement and positive speaking. What people say does affect how you feel, what you wear, and even your emotions. As much as I would have liked to just speak and hear words that just isn’t an option. Words are everywhere we look including billboards, internet, letters, bills, and there are even words on our road signs. During high school I realized that I don’t have to like words, but I do have to accept the fact that I will be seeing words the rest of my life.“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble.”-Yehuda Berg. This is my favorite quote about words. Growing up in public schools you hear a lot of bad words and not a lot of encouraging ones. If everyone kept their mouth closed when they wanted to say something negative world peace might be possible. Some words ruin lives, while others enlighten a person’s day. I have used words to help comfort my girlfriend after her cat died. She was devastated but I helped her feel better. Other people have used lots of different words to hurt me. I think words save lives on some occasions, and other times it destroys lives. I would say that my relationship with words is understanding. I understand why words are so valuable, but at the same time I have always struggled with words. So I don’t typically enjoy reading words for fun. I understand that  it is something I  have to practice and be good at.