A hot cast iron skillet leaves a burn behind when it’s inadvertently touched, and the person who did the touching involuntarily jerks back the burned hand…and the brain remembers: touching hot pans brings on pain.  A lesson is learned.  But wounds are not always physical.  Some of the harshest pain is emotional.  When a person lashes out at another through words and deeds, the resulting scars are borne for a lifetime.  Every instance of emotional and verbal abuse leaves behind a heart that becomes less and less willing to fully trust, to engage, to live.  Sooner or later, even though … Continue reading Words