The R-word, it hurts...

An old friend of mine just posted something on Facebook that really hurt so I think it's time for a post on how much words can hurt and hopefully get through to some of you how much it hurts. Rather than call them out on it, I hope to educate them along with others.
I actually remember the last time I said the word "ret@rded." I was pregnant with Joey and had just found out that he was going to have Down syndrome. I was watching TV when an actor did something crazy and I said out loud to myself, "that was so ret@rded!" 
I suddenly realized what I said, it had never dawned on me until that moment the power of what words can mean and how much they can hurt. Tears started streaming from my eyes as my thoughts instantly went to my baby boy that I was pregnant with as I felt him kick. I vowed from that moment on to never say that word again. 
The r-word is used to describe behavior that is clumsy, hapless, and even hopeless. But whether intentional or not, if it just "slips out of your mouth," the word conjures up a painful stereotype of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It hurts. Even if you don’t mean it that way...
Replace the r-word with a new one: RESPECT!

You can take the pledge to never say the r-word again at R-word, Spread the Word To End The Word. 
Please take one minute and listen that what John C. McGinley, a fellow parent of a child with Down syndrome has to say. Also, please take an extra minute and read Words Hit Like A Fist by Dave Hinsburger.