Weeds, Flowers, and Little Hearts

I knew a little girl who loved flowers. Flowers of all kinds. Anything colorful and petaled was a flower to her.. even what most would consider weeds. To this little girl, a weed was just as beautiful and special as a rose or peony. She loved to pick colorful bouquets of dandelions and henbit and present them to her mom as a heartfelt gift.

Upon receiving her bouquet, her mother would say with sarcastic enthusiasm, "Oh, weeds! Thanks!" The word "weed" stung that little girl's heart. Somehow, that word made her gift less special. It made her feel as if her gift was unwanted by her mother. It hurt her spirit.

Today, as my daughter ran around the local playground, she found some bright yellow dandelions. To her, they were radiant flowers. She picked them and brought them to me. I immediately remembered that little girl and my heart stung for a moment. Then I smiled and thanked her for the beautiful flowers. She smiled back and carried on playing.

Words that are said with little thought can have a much greater affect on little hearts than we realize. Today, take notice of your words as you speak them to your child. Are they uplifting or spirit-breaking?