November 26, 2025
When I sit down to write my daily Thought of the Day and Question of the Day, I never know exactly where the combination will take me, but this is the fun of it. Today’s reflections dig into our accidental slip-ups, the things we wish we could reel back into our mouths, and the way words stick around in people’s heads long after we move on. This post explores both the Thought of the Day and the Question of the Day, and it turns out they are perfect partners.
Thought of the Day: Always be careful with your words because you never know how many times they’re repeated in someone’s head.
There are some lines that escape our mouths like clumsy toddlers that find the only sharp corner in the entire room. Once they are out, they are out. And the scary part is we do not get to choose what other people replay on a loop. It might be the thoughtful thing we said. Or the funny thing. Or the sarcastic throwaway line we fired off while half awake and holding a lukewarm cup of coffee.
I think about the words that have stuck with me. A compliment from a teacher when I was eleven that still plays in my mind when I need a boost. A cutting comment from someone who probably forgot they even said it, but it still shows up uninvited when I am tired or stressed. Some words are like ghosts. They haunt you gently. Some throw furniture.
So when I say we should be careful with our words, I do not just mean we should avoid being sharp or cruel. I mean we should stay aware that our words have weight and sometimes they show up in someone else’s mental rotation far more often than we expect. The silly thing is we never know which words those will be. We think the big statements matter most, but sometimes it is the tiny ones that slip through a crack and turn into memories that linger for decades.
But it goes the other way too. Sometimes you say something kind without thinking twice and it becomes the phrase someone revisits when they need to remember who they are. Our throwaway kindness becomes someone’s anchor. This is the upside of the way words echo. It is why being intentional, even a little bit, matters.
If you liked this thought, you might also like this one where we’re asked to think about the person who planted the tree when we’re eating the fruit
Question of the Day: What’s something you said out loud that you wish you didn’t?
My answer: I accidentally dropped an F-bomb at the cat last night. Thankfully the kids didn’t hear it.
I wish this story made me look better. It does not.
It was just after dinner and I was cleaning up in the kitchen. I turned around and the cat was doing that thing cats do, stealing the scrapes of food off the dirty dinner plates. And before I could catch myself, out came the word that rhymes with “truck” but carries far more emotional weight. Directed at a house pet. Out loud. Zero hesitation. But thankfully I whispered it.
And the strangest part? As soon as the word left my mouth, two thoughts hit me at the same time:
- Thank God the kids didn’t hear that.
- I cannot believe I just cursed at a cat.
Cats do not care. That is the secret. They will look at you like you are interrupting their important business schedule, even if the only thing on the schedule is sitting in a box that is too small. The cat walked away like I was the problem. Which honestly was fair.
When I asked today’s Question of the Day, that moment came back like a highlight clip. The irony of pairing this with today’s Thought of the Day is not lost on me. Words echo. Sometimes in other people. Sometimes in our pets. And sometimes in our own heads as we lie in bed replaying the fact that we scolded a small furry animal for being alive.
But the bigger truth is this: we all say things we wish we hadn’t. A misfired joke. A weird comment to a stranger. A heated moment with no audience except a pet that judges silently. It happens. What matters is learning to laugh about it. What matters even more is extending the same grace to ourselves that we try to extend to others. Even the cat has forgiven me. Probably. Cats keep score, but they forgive while they are doing it.
Now it is your turn. What is something you said out loud that you wish you had not? Leave a comment below or join the free daily email where I send one Thought and one Question every morning. It is a simple ritual that helps you pause, laugh, reflect, and maybe avoid cursing at your household pets.
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