THE written word can have the power of taking a knife to a person’s heart.
Today our children and adults are subjected to taunts and innuendo on the internet via the likes of meta, twitter and other similar search engines, with malicious intent to harm or provoke a response from that person.
How many times have we been upset when somebody says something about us, not at all true, or we are unfairly accused.
This can happen through a rumour, someone taking something that was said out of context or even from the misinterpreted words of a letter or an email.
How many times do we take umbrage and feel resentful of that person’s view of things, of their take on a given situation?
We are the masters of our bodies, we have the power to dismiss these comments as if they were insignificant, but we don’t.
We let them fester and feed our ego with retorts and things to come back at that person, thereby letting them know that they have succeeded in needling us.
Not only can the written word do harm and provoke, but it can also change our view on any particular subject.
Someone has lost a member of their family, you send them a card, has a verse you think is appropriate and you sign the card and send it away.
Or better still one of those E cards via the computer and you believe it’s done and dusted.
Maybe instead another approach would be to send a short letter telling the individual or family of what that person meant to you.
It takes time and thought to compose a letter where one can show your feelings in a caring way.
Letters can be sent not only for bereavement but for other situations as well.
Someone who has a terminal disease, going through chemo and having a difficult time of it so they decide to refuse any more ongoing treatment.
A letter of understanding of their choice and decision can help those around them to understand better.
I had a call one evening from a senior friend, out of the blue, telling me that she was undergoing Voluntary Assisted Dying in the morning and they’d rung to tell me because I had sent a short letter to her some 12 months ago.
The letter simply wished her well in her life’s journey, and she said she really appreciated my thoughts and wanted to tell me first hand of her decision.
It was so unexpected, so thoughtful, sad though it was.
The hardest part was when she said “goodbye”.
NOTE: The Queensland ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying Act’ 2021 (the Act) was passed in September 2021 and is available to eligible Queenslanders. (Information, and criteria is available on the VAD website)
