Quote in Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

In her book, Ignite Me, Tahereh Mafi writes, “Words are like seeds, I think, planted in our hearts at a tender age. They take root in us as we grow, settling deep into our souls. The good words plant well. They flourish and find homes in our hearts. They build trunks around our spines, steadying us when we’re feeling most flimsy; planting our feet firmly when we’re feeling most unsure. But the bad words grow poorly. Our trunks infest and spoil until we are hollow and housing the interests of others and not our own. We are forced to eat the fruit those words have borne, held hostage by the branches growing arms around our necks, suffocating us to death one word at a time.”

This is such an eloquent way of describing how we take in the words that are said to us growing up and they can either help root us in strength or in a toxic view of self that needs to be uprooted in community, in relationship, and in therapy.

Words matter, how we talk to ourselves matters, and how we talk to children matters a whole lot.