Often we remain silent when we need to speak. Without words, it is hard to love well. When we say to our parents, children, lovers, or friends: « I love you very much » or « I care for you » or « I think of you often » or « You are my greatest gift, » we choose to give life.

It is not always easy to express our love directly in words. But whenever we do, we discover we have offered a blessing that will be long remembered. When a son can say to his father, « Dad, I love you, » and when a mother can say to her daughter, « Child, I love you, » a whole new blessed place can be opened up, a space where it is good to dwell. Indeed, words have the power to create life.