As we turn to resolutions for the coming year, let’s give ourselves and each other — all of us sharing the same planetary passport — kindness and love. Let’s choose encouraging and affirming words like “You’re wonderful!,” and “Great idea!,” when our intention is to praise.

Let’s pledge to lay down aggressive memes that are the byproduct of a mostly masculine, military-industrial complex of the last century.

Let’s disarm and retire: “You killed it.” “You murdered it.” “You slay.” “Crushing it.” “The bomb.”

I once had an Israeli co-worker who never shared an unkind word with anyone. He was a man who reminded me to stand up straight and to let my light shine, who assured me there was always wiggle room in a deadline and that it was better to leave my work at the office. Years later, I learned that as a young boy in Tel Aviv, he had been walking hand in hand with his father on Shabbat, and then the next thing he remembered was waking up under the weight of his father’s lifeless body on top of him.

Boom.

When we feel helpless in hearing stories like his, when we try making sense in the shadow of atrocity against our shared humanity, when we’re searching for meaningful ways to effect change and to halt the crushing of bodies and minds and spirits, let’s bring focus to our vocabulary. Instead of saying “You’re the bomb,” let’s agree to say, “You’re inspiring!” because that’s really what we intend.

Perhaps, in this way, word by word, we can shift the global conversation toward peace, which is healthy for children and all living things. Let’s resolve to make our resolutions an integral part of the solution, and to be resolute in our surrender to the power of language.

Libby Ellis
Vineyard Haven