The Story Behind Words Like Raindrops
In March 2021, I watched a movie called The Breadwinner. It’s a movie about a young girl growing up in Afghanistan in 2001. After her father is arrested, she disguises herself as a boy in order to take jobs and provide for her family. Along the way, she tells a story of a boy trying to retrieve seeds from the Elephant King.
I connected with the girl, not because of her struggles, but because she used the story to help her cope with everything happening to her and come to terms with the death of her brother. While the ending of the movie isn’t “happy” like you’d think from a fairy tale, it is positive. It also ends with a great line:
“Raise your words, not your voice. It is the rain that makes the flowers grow, not thunder.”
This stuck with me. My first thought was “I wish I’d thought of that.” After that, I started thinking of a poem. When so many people shout and scream to get attention, it can be hard to stop and think about what you’re saying.
I took that idea and wrote Words Like Raindrops not long after I watched the movie. It still serves as a reminder to me that if the words I speak are meaningful, they’ll resonate with people, and there won’t be a need to shout.
I hope it can do the same for you.
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