When You Don't Have the Words

 October 31, 2026

I saw Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother (2026). I didn't know what I was going to walk into when I watched this film. As I was watching it, all I could see was a man and his children who all lacked the words to say the most meaningful things they need to say to their loved ones. I kept finding myself screaming at the film. I kept yelling, “Just say it! Just say it!” And yet they wouldn't say it. None of them did! My frustration became bigger not due to lack of words they weren't saying, but due to the fact that I understood.

The roadblock of not having the words to say is more common than I want to be for us. It's the lack of words that tends to cripple us and pushes us to react in ways that are uncaring, toxic, and are demeaning to oneself. Sadly, we find plenty of examples of words to say that are inappropriate, negative, and hurtful. And we find very few words about what needs to be said. We can do better! We must do better! And we can’t forget that we are not alone…Perfection is not required. Sometimes all you have to say is “I don’t have the words.” That’s a great start!

In the same week, I saw If I Go Will They Miss Me (2026). The film reminded me that every child should have the chance to see their parents as superheroes. It’s a gift not everyone gets. For some parents, when we get that gift, we run from that gift. We make the gift become a curse when it was never designed to be that. Unfortunately, when we do that, we miss the opportunity to be the parents who we were designed to be. And part of that missed opportunity is because we don't have the words to say, “I am honored that you see me as the best thing since sliced bread!” Instead, some of us try to hide our light that could be used not just for the benefit our children, but for the whole world to see. I understand breaking the chains of bad habits can be hard…do it anyway! We have to remember that dreaming is not an option, it is a necessity! Dreams give us hope…Dreams give us possibilities that have yet to manifest. And sometimes dreams of children help their parents be able to dream again. For the adults this applies to: Don’t forget, if you have let some dreams die, consider resurrecting the ones that help you soar.



Remember, you are not required to have all the words! No one is requiring you to have all the right words at the right time…you are not required to have all the right words in the moment…you are required to make the initiative to search to learn…you are required to question and to unbury the hidden treasure which are the words that you need to say. What needs to be said by you may not be available to you in this moment…Please know they are within your reach! It would behoove you to not run away from that moment because like characters in the movies Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother (2026) and If I Go Will They Miss Me (2026), you don't know how many more moments you're going to get to say what needs to be said.

You may not have it all together, but you got something. You have a gift that should you should not minimize…You have been give time. And it is in your best interest to grab this moment in time and not to let go of it until you tap into every human and spiritual resource available. This will allow you to collect the words and formulate the sentences that need to be put together, so that what needs to be received can be heard and received.


While you’re waiting for the words, I'm gonna keep writing …I am hoping to encourage you not to quit until you do. Until then, let your actions fill the void of your absent words.

 

-Prof. Elgrie J. Hurd III