Some of the aphorisms we repeat are oft-times not true. And, it's important to recognize that reality and we need to stop repeating certain phrases as if they represented the truth. Take this phrase: Time heals all wounds. That's just false. It heals some wounds and ameliorates others. But there are some wounds from which we don't recover fully; we navigate forward; we learn work-arounds. But time doesn't eliminate the trauma we've experienced. Try this phrase: Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me. How false is this? Imagine racial slurs and other affronts. We need to take abusive language seriously; words do hurt and do harm. Goodness, how can we treat verbal abuse as non-hurtful? My point is this: we easily repeat phrases without truly reflecting on their meaning. What better time than now, in the midst of a pandemic, racial tensions and uncertainty, to reflect on these referenced phrases and eliminate them from our lexicon. And, these are not the only two phrases that deserve to be set aside. Let's help our children by recognizing that traumatic events are not erased and words can do harm. If we recognize this, we can be in a position to help others in schools and workplaces and communities. P.S. Diamonds are not a girl's best friend. …see more