A single harsh word spoken at the time of anger is so poisonous....

I agree totally with you. I can never forget the abusive words my mother used on me when we were growing up. She's 78 now, and I still find it hard at times to let go of the bitterness. That's why I never even once spoke an ugly word to my children. I won't even speak a negative word. When you are a loved one to someone, your words do matter a lot, and they stick to your memory like super-glue.

You are very right. I believe that words can hurt far more than sticks and stones. I grew up with emotional abuse and the damage is really hard to work through even years later. I think that we should be careful of the words we use, as you say, because the spoken word almost always has consequences especially those spoken with anger!