JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools

When I was in high school I heard a rumor about a local celebrity. I didn’t take it as truth. It was the kind of story kids like to whisper to each other and smile in secret. A great piece of gossip. Or a small one. What I remember could be summarized in a sentence. Yet it has stayed with me.

The other day I heard this local celebrity mentioned on the radio. Should I be ashamed to say that the first impression that came to mind was the residue of this rumor I’d heard in high school, years ago? This person’s reputation is tainted for me by words I heard.

Maybe someone was making up stories. High school kids like to talk and shock. But I can’t deny the power of the words remain, another lifetime later.

Earlier this week I was riding on the ferry with two other moms. The kids were coloring and we were talking. Tired from our Seattle adventures, I didn’t feel it was a particularly strong moment of motherhood for me.

However, a woman sitting in a seat adjacent to ours stood up and stopped our conversation as she was leaving. She told us that she thought we were doing a great job with our children. Again, a simple thought expressed in few words.

But these few words have power. It’s not often that someone will stop her own life and another’s to share encouragement. Her words are the kind of sunshine to remember on a rainy day of parenting. Her quick act of kindness will last long in my life.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue… Proverbs 18:21