Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me. Whoever coined that phrase is a bald-faced liar. Words are often the sharpest weapon of all, triggering some of the most powerful emotions a human can experience.

"You're pregnant."

"It's a boy."

"Your son needs a heart transplant."

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me. Lies. Syllables and letters may not be tangible, but they can still destroy your entire life faster than a bullet from a gun. Two words—that was all it took to extinguish the sun from my sky.

"He's gone."

For ten years, the darkness consumed me. In the end, it was four deep, gravelly words that gave me hope of another sunrise.

"Hi. I'm Porter Reese."

Aly Martinez