We all carry them: words or phrases that echo in our minds, that make us ruminate and, over time, become a part of us. Just as every statement in this book was once a fleeting remark – meant for the moment – yet left its trace.

We like to think words are simple, that they hold meanings we all agree upon. But what is said – and what is heard – is rarely the same. A simple phrase carries intention, memory, longing, and personal interpretation.

Depending on the life it falls into, meaning and impact shift.

In times of constant confrontation with the voices of others, we cannot escape their influence. But we do have a choice: how we weave external judgements into our own. And we hold responsibility – to recognise that our words shape not only our own story, but also that of the people around us. In our search for shared understanding, we are connected: through the way language defines us, and the way we build each other.