Childhood reflections with a touch of grace: Be careful what you hear

I recall a song for little ones that made the rounds when I was growing up. It said, “Be careful little ears what you hear.” There was plenty of other good advice sprinkled throughout the song, but that is what stuck in my head. It was advice I wish I had remembered more often as I grew into adulthood. The teen years also provided plenty of opportunities to remember the cautionary words from the song. There was always a lot of teasing, some of it pretty harsh, that was passed around in my youth. Most of it was harmless, but some comments landed a few lasting blows. It seems our nature is to bring others down as a way of lifting ourselves up as we struggle with self esteem and identity