Do you believe in magic?

I love words. No, really, I adore them. I mean, think about it; words are the way we express ourselves to others every day. Sure, we have body language and facial expressions that convey our emotions and meaning to people also, but it's really words that we depend on to get us through each day, to communicate and forge our way in the world around us. Whether through speech or song, or through the written word, there isn't a day that goes by that we don't use words to reach out to others, to get us the things we need, to express our needs and desires. Whether we put much thought into those words or not, we are constantly using them.

Being a huge reader and writer, I think that it's probably safe to say that from a very young age I've been in love with words. That love has only gotten stronger as I've gotten older and sought to express myself more adeptly through the words at my disposal. I really believe there is a kind of magic to words, and to the power that they have to make people feel, as well as to transform. Words can mean so many different things in different contexts. They serve so many purposes every day. They can be used to persuade, to forgive, to express love and sadness, to wound, to heal...so many things. The power and possibility of words is endless. I mean, truly. Every day, people use words to create new things that touch others, that change the world. Sure, action is important too. Without action to back up our words they would lose some of their power and meaning. But without words, how could we even take action?

As some of my friends already know (because they've heard me say it time and again, as happens when I obsess over things every now and then), one of my favorite authors is David Levithan. He wrote my favorite book, The Realm of Possibility (which, by the way, if you haven't read, you should. Now. Seriously, go out and find a copy and read immediately). The words in that book touched something deep within me. It's not a complicated book. It's not a thousand pages long with lots of big words. It's simple, and it's beautiful. And what makes it that beautiful and wonderful? The arrangement of the words on the page. How can anyone NOT find it amazing when a writer, using only words, can stir something deep within the soul of a reader? It's not like TV (which also uses words, of course, lots of them), which comes with a visual representation of the words being spoken. A book relies on the imagination of the reader. On the reader's interpretation of the words on the page, and the way those words and ideas relate to the reader personally. When a book makes us cry, or want to scream at a character, or laugh out loud, that's a testament to the power that words have. And to the meaning that they hold in our lives.

Some of the magic of words just comes from the way they feel rolling off your tongue. The way one word can conjure an image or a feeling immediately upon hearing or saying it. Some words just sound beautiful, don't they? How can you hear the word whimsical and not smile? It's a word that rolls off your tongue, almost floating off of it. Then there are words like livid and hate, words that sound as harsh as the feelings they convey. Sometimes a word really just sounds like what it is meant to represent. Concrete, for example, makes me think of something solid, dependable, unchanging. It just sounds reliable, doesn't it?

Now, I realize, that along with the great beauty that words hold, they can also be used to harm. Even in little ways. People use words every day, but many times don't even think about what they're saying. They don't think about the meanings behind their words, or the consequences of what they say. And just like words can bring people up, lift them and help them rise above things, they can also do so much damage. So much hatred is spread through words, which is sad. But it still attests to their power. They're one of the strongest weapons we have, and like any weapon, they can do great damage if wielded improperly.

So as I end this long and rambling blog, my love letter to words and all they do for me, with a request to anyone who might actually be reading this. Think about the words around you. Think about something you read or something you heard that affected you. A word, a sentence, a paragraph that changed your life. I think if you look hard enough you'll be able to think of one. They're magic for us all, not just for the writers out there.

I also leave you with an excerpt from David Levithan's newest book, "The Lover's Dictionary," which is an enormous testament to the power of words and the many meanings they can hold for all of us....

Acronymn, n.

I remember the first time you signed an email with SWAK. I didn't know what it meant. It sounded violent, like a slap connecting. SWAK! Batman knocking down the Riddler. SWAK! Cries of "Liar! Liar!" Tears. SWAK! So I wrote back: SWAK? And the next time you wrote, ten minutes later, you explained.

I loved the ridiculous image I got from that, of you leaning over your laptop, touching your lips gently to the screen, sealing your words to me before turning them into electricity. Now every time you SWAK me, the echo of that electricity remains.