Right Speech

With mindfulness we may enjoy producing only right speech, the kind of speech that goes along with understanding, compassion, joy, and forgiveness….we can produce right speech at every moment, loving speech that will bear our signature.  This is what we hand down to our children and to the world.     ]                           Thich Nhat Hanh, Reconciliation, healing the inner child,  Parallax, 2010, p.21

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my mother used to say

“think before you talk”

I ignored her

and now, so many years later

with her face and voice a memory from the distant past

(she died 26 years ago)

I am appreciative of her wisdom

she was a woman in whom the waters ran deep

but she did not know how to express herself

and rarely showed emotion

she was a woman of action

rather than words

far more comfortable

ironing my underwear (yes indeed)

and backing cookies,

and making amazing meals

than saying “I love you”

but I do not remember her using words to hurt

she was always “mindful” of what she said

and expected her children to do the same

and she taught us, through her few words

and her many actions

to be people of understanding, compassion, joy, and forgiveness

tiny she was

but in that small frame was also joy

and great wisdom

a willingness to serve, to  give and give, and then give some more

in her work with the church, 4H, girl scouts, and more!

and she was there, creating a place

in which my sisters and I could grow up safely

was she perfect?  absolutely not!

but her words, and actions bore her signature

and was a gift

she passed down to her children

she had right speech

right action

coming out of right thought

for she loved God deeply

and it showed

may my thoughts

my words

and my actions

reflect the heritage

which I have been given

thanks mom