SAY IT PLEASE

Feb.24,2008
A Journey through Cancer
By Muffet Dolar Villegas

Words


If we live for 70 years we have actually spent quite a lot of time talking. They say that women are capable of more or less 25 thousand words a day, and men are about half of that. Maybe that’s the reason why men fall asleep while women are still half way of the conversation.
The most eloquent words I have heard being said about someone are when I attend a funeral. But it is sad that the recipient of these heartwarming words is now lying deaf and cold.
Cancer taught me that life is too short to hold back appreciation to people who deserve it.
All of us need words that nourish our hearts and actions that speak our good intentions. Words are free. We don’t have to worry about our bank accounts if we say kind or encouraging words to others. It doesn’t cost anything to make a person feel important. We will not miss an inch in height if we tell a person that she or he did a good job. Our salaries will not be deducted if we praise our coworkers. Our house helpers need sincere praise as much as we are. We won’t appear less attractive if we boost others’ self confidence. We don’t become less a parent if we tell our children that they are great.
My mother, like most mothers was always full of praise for her children. But inspite of that, I grew up believing that I was an ugly duckling. Other children used to tease me and call me “Tikling” a Philippine heron which is tall, thin and has very long legs. I was tall for an average Filipino and too thin. Half of my life, I always heard these words, “You should eat well, you’re too thin.”
I would stand last in line all the time in school, and sit at the last row not wanting to be seen. I knew how it was to be different and unattractive, so at a young age I created my own world of painting beautiful, perfect women which turned into gory images of headless mermaids during my adolescent years. Everyday, I would write stories and illustrate comic strips where my heroes and villains were my classmates and teachers.
The world can be cruel and unkind, but we can make a difference in our own little ways. Our solitude can drive us to enlarge our imagination. Other people’s indifference can make us understand our own kind.
Did God make a mistake? Certainly not. We are perfect for His purpose. Even if we feel like an outcast, unimportant, we are very special in His sight. We can yield or fight or blame our parents for not having good genes, but our self worth is not measured by our looks, nor our past and insecurities, but by how we are in God’s sight. He sees a masterpiece in the making not the unfinished work of art.
Words are weapons that make or break us. Be grateful if one learns to appreciate your gifts, but don’t think that you are less of a person if no one does. Continue to affirm the positive qualities of others who need it because as you encourage others, you too are encouraged.
Our nation will be a better place to live if people learn to use words to affirm good positive traits of each other on a daily basis. It creates a positive atmosphere, where progressive ideas grow.