How many times have you said that? I'm sure I said this aloud and in my head on quite a few occasions!

Do you still believe this? I don't! That's sad really! I wished I still believed that. I was an adult when I realized words hurt and probably they hurt most of all. It was a hard, sad, hurtful lesson to learn and to work thru.

We never want to see our children hurt. This past week someone close to Lacey said some very harsh, hurtful things to her. That's Lacey's story to tell, but I can say it killed me. It hurt to see her so hurt and wounded.

Zane and I shed tears, we wanted to cause harm, we hurt, we were angry, we prayed. We went to see Lacey several days to check on her. We talked and text a lot. I knew she was down and having a difficult time and that made her being separated from us even worse. We also knew that we needed to let her learn and grow and work thru this on her own too. See? I am sort of learning this parenting an adult thing!

Late Saturday night she decided she wanted to come home. I am so happy she did. She was able to talk without distractions. She was able to go to church at her home church, with her church family that she has been with since birth.

Words can hurt! Words can also love and heal!

That morning she said she was fine but her eyes deceived her! There were 4-5 people at church who knew what happened. She was shown so much love and encouragement by them.

Yesterday, I watched her eyes, which had no shine because of hurtful words, regain their sparkle by words of love. I watched her transform back to herself.

We all make our own choice on the words we say to others. Some times emotions take over and we say mean things. Some times we mean well, but say something offensive or hurtful at the moment. We need to train ourselves to say nice words, loving words, encouraging words no matter how we are feeling!

Proverbs 12:18 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Have you ever had a non life threatening, life flash before you moments? I did last night.

Lacey was home for Labor Day weekend. It was the first time in a month she has been home. Everything was right in my world! Then she left again!

I was sulky and shed a few tears. I took my iPod to bed with me and turned on music instead of the TV to fall asleep.

The second song to come on was "Baby Mine". This was a song that I have sung to Lacey her whole life. In that instance 21 years of Lacey cuddling up in bed, holding her hands and singing her to sleep flashed before my eyes. I saw and felt her hands through each stage of life!

The tears poured! I thought about how "Baby Mine, don't you cry" had different meanings over the years. I thought of how much she has grown and matured over the years. It mad me sad but oh so happy too.

I thanked God for giving me the flashbacks, the live memories.

Lacey recently celebrated her 21st birthday. I can see a lot of changes in her, almost instantly from that day! She's matured. I miss the newborn, the baby, the toddler, the tween, and even the teen, but I also love this new stage we are in and seeing Lacey grow and blossom warms my heart!