It Must Die: The Burial of Words

My phone is "dying". The project is "aborted"...

When one loses a baby or child(ren), words become more powerful than anyone could possibly imagine. It's amazing how life changes in the "blink of an eye" and through the traumatic experience of infant loss, I am no longer the same. As a writer, I have always been a lover of words, but now my love for all words has dissipated.

When I lost my first-born baby, Cade Dawson, ten years ago. I didn't want to hear any word or saying dealing with death, such as "I love you to death" or "my phone died". And, even now the feeling still lingers; that saying "I love you to death" doesn't even make sense to me, (why would I want to kill someone because I love them so much?), so I choose to say "I love you to life".

In my book "Semblance of a Footprint: A Collection of Intimate Poetry & Strategies for Healing After the Loss of an Unborn or Newly Born Child" , I wrote a poem entitled "Now I Know the World's Not a Perfect Place" that touches on the revelation of the triviality of sayings, such as "This is to die for," which was magnified while mourning the loss of my firstborn. As I wept for his little life, I realized that even in our everyday language, human beings mention death excessively and with such negligence. Indeed, "the world is not a perfect place".

With my newfound revelation of my own misuse of language, I realized that I want to LIVE a full life, and I want my words to reflect vitality. I want to thrive. I want people to thrive. To live their best lives. So in the spirit of life, I wish to eradicate the following sayings:

I love you to death

I am bored to death

It's a life or death situation.

My phone/battery is dying.

My project is aborted.

Can you think of any other sayings using "death" that you will eradicate after reading this post? Comment below. To read my poem "Now I Know the World's Not a Perfect Place" in my book "Semblance of a Footprint". Order your copy here: https://www.carlolchelledawson.com/shop-1

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Carlo is an author, motivational speaker, storyteller, singer/songwriter, dramatist, and more. She loves to inspire, motivate, and uplift! Become a member of the Semblance of a Footprint Infant Loss & Pregnancy Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/252413869135003/

You may follow her on FB at @carlolchelledawson or connect on Twitter and Instagram @carlolchelle

And, did we mention that her weakness is a yummy donut or funnel cake, but she's being healthy so salads are her friends!