Words are all they need.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who married a widower. As the widower had three daughters by the first wife, the new mother was wary of the saying that step-mothers are cruel to the children who are not hers.

She very much wanted to be the exceptional step-mother who would be good to every one of the husband’s children. Initially, it was easy as she had no children of her own.

Soon, she was pregnant and a child was born. She found it difficult to cope with having most of her time taken up by the new-born child. So the daughters of the first wife had to be sent to an aunt to assist in their up-bringing.

A few years later, another son was born. So, she had two of her own children. When they reached a certain age, the husband brought back the other three daughters. Everything was fine until two of the girls proved to be quite naughty. Like any parent, she punished them.

With cries heard by the neighbours each time the girls were punished, it was not long before someone spread the story that she was cruel to the girls because she was their step-mother.

To stop the stories from becoming a nuisance to his family, the husband decided to send his daughters to stay with their aunt once again.

The stories did not stop despite there being no punishment and crying heard any longer. It reached the young wife’s ears and she was annoyed by them as she believed she had done her best to the children.

Minds work feverishly to overcome such negative talk. Her mind could not stop thinking of the negative opinions of the neighbours. Their words remained with her constantly.Those words returned each time she saw a neighbour looking at her.The pressure was too great to bear.

Eventually, to prove she was perfectly just in her actions, she punished her boys even harder than she had ever punished the daughters of the first wife.

Her boys had to suffer the terrible caning whenever they were slightly mischievous. Whenever she caned her boys, she would loudly proclaim that she punished her own children just as hard as she had the girls. She wanted everyone to see that she was not the cruel stepmother they claimed she was. In doing so, she was so cruel and harsh to her own two children.

Her own two children suffered for her desire to justify her punishment of the daughters. They suffered in her effort to shed the image of the cruel step-mother.

Obviously, the words of the neighbours had caused her grievous harm. The hurt was too great on the impressionable mind of the young wife. Imagine the damage such words had wrought.

Therefore, we ought to be careful with our words. Words can make or break a person.
We should also find a means to protect ourselves from words. We must not be easily influenced by the opinions of others. In The Art Of Living, we learn and appreciate the fact that we could be the football of other people’s opinions. Of the five basic essential understanding we are first introduced to is: ‘Do not be the football of other people’s opinions.’ This understanding is essential to happiness in our lives.