Good morning, Tuesday. The coffee is warm, the day is still unspoken, and not one word of it has been used yet. Think of all the ones you're about to hand out.
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." — Psalm 19:14 (KJV)
This morning's prayer Lord, my strength and my redeemer, today I will say thousands of words. Most will be small ones: good morning, thank you, I'll take care of it, see you tonight. Let each one land like a warm loaf left on someone's porch. Look at what runs underneath them, the quiet thoughts I rehearse in traffic and in line. Make those gentle too, and glad. Where my words have bruised people before, you have already begun the mending. Give me the nerve to say sorry first. You are my strength, so I don't need a sharp tongue to be heard. Let my mouth carry good news today, and let my heart be a good place to live. Amen.
Today, on purpose:
Say one specific, kind thing to someone before noon.
Pause one breath before answering anything that annoys me.
Thank someone by name for work nobody usually notices.