A Malice called Tongue.

My son lost his wife in a tragic illness about a year back. She left him a child, now about 3 years, to take care of. In all ways, he reminds us of her. She was such a good girl; I don’t have enough words to describe her.



I remember the day I was at her bed side when she was admitted to the RCC for treatment of cancer. I was reading a book. I could see from the distance that she was watching me. I tried to avoid her gaze. She had lost all the hair, but still looked more beautiful than ever. It was a sad sight to see her lying in the bed that way. When she caught my eyes, she beckoned me with a gesture of her hands. I got up and went to her bedside.

“Acha” she said, “I know one of your secrets”

“Tell me” I said

“Cuckoo (my daughter) had told me that you love me more than her”, she said

Tears welled in my eyes. I tried to hide it.

She said, “Don’t worry Acha, Everything is going to be all right”.

It didn’t happen that way. She left us in the depths of sadness and agony.The boy is just growing up. With all the innocence of childhood. We wanted him to grow up without any feel of losses. After all, why should a child be deprived of his childhood?

There was this girl who was willing to accept the situation and come in to our family. To give a new life for my son and his child. We were discussing the possibility of a marriage.

That is when the gossips started. Unheard of stories.

My son used to beat her up. He has wasted all her assets. He married her for her wealth. So, be careful. How concerned are our people about the welfare of others!

Apparently, ourown family and relatives were spreading the stories. They don’t want him to get married. I know many of them,who were all smiling faces in front of me.

I said,” Trust is not the nose that falls off on sneezing”. If they don’t trust us, and believe someone else’s words, how can you make a relationship with that family?

I was wondering. How much of an impact can gossips make?

I consoled my son. The girl is not destined to have a happy life. It is her fate. And her parents have contributed to it. And it is God who has shown you the way. Keep all unnecessary elements out of your life, I said.

It is hard to believe slanders can make such damages in the present day life. We call ourselves literate and educated and civilized. …Still.

“Do not go about spreading slander among your people" (Lev. 19:16).


“Men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:36, 37).


The Bible warns of widows who have nothing else to do other than gossiping and messing up other’s lives. Now a day, many of our women live their lives like widows, unhappy, discontented with their own lives, and cannot tolerate the happiness of others.And many men who live without working,have also changed roles.They do many things supposedly done by women before. 

Gossip can be a cruel weapon, one that is turned on friends and enemies alike. The gossiping person may be trying to look better by making the other person look bad. Anytime someone has talked badly to me about someone else, I always wonder what that person says about me when I am not around and then I no longer trust that person. God calls gossip a sin, whether we justify it or not. It is unacceptable and it has the power to destroy a family.

Gossip is so damaging. More damage can be done with the tongue than by any other means. Like our mothers used to say,  “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!”