Having just spent 9 days with 9 people staying at my house and 4 to 10 more hanging out for the holiday, I have heard a lot of words. The people in my family are, for the most part, quite verbose ("Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words") and so the words have flown.
We love to tease one another and one of the things I love about my family is that we do not take offense (for the most part) but enjoy in the intimacy that is contained in that kind of kidding around. It truly is a sign of affection and we all enjoy a good slam and can take them as well as we give them and be duly impressed by the skill (?) involved.
At the same time, I have always tried to be careful with my words; I believe in choosing them rather than flinging them. And so I will choose some words now, to encourage your choice of words.
Let your words be:
Gracious, not annoying or aggresive.
Pleasant, not offensive or repugnant.
Kind, not mean for the sake of being mean.
Courteous, not rude, not irritating.
Merciful, not punishing or judgmental.
Compassionate and kind, not mean-spirited.
Wise, not giving out information that should be private.
Polite, not shocking and harsh.
Tactful, never crude or purposely shocking.
I end with another proverb: Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything.
