Isn’t it amazing how letters form words and words come together to form sentences. And those sentences are combined for stories to be told, for songs to be sung, bitter fights to occur and for prayers to escape from the quivering lips of the vulnerable.

The art of expressing ourselves, that is what separates us from the rest of the creations of God. That is what makes us unique and powerful.

But it is not the power over others that inspires me, it is the fact that people can express themselves in so many languages.

Since I was a child I have been fascinated with languages, the way how people convey their thoughts. I could only learn two languages, English, and my mother tongue Urdu. The origin of language is what baffles me.

A child who is only a few months old begins to communicate by moving his arms and legs, and making sounds what we call ‘baby language’. People who friends and family express themselves through the language of love which is touch, shaking hands and hugging. People who are angry throw things, they curse. That is the language of aggression.

Languages exist to spread love, kindness and happiness. And we use such a unique gift, that of expression, for hatred, bullying and what eventually would lead to our own self-destruction.

So when we speak, it should be the language of love, of kindness. When we act, we should act with caution and gentleness so as to not hurt others.

When we think and make decisions, keep in mind all the people who will be affected by these decisions. Make the best use of the art of expression. Use it to spread love and harmony.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 29th, 2016