Abracadabra

The power of words is endless.

When I was in 5th grade, I discovered the true power of words for the first time. I did this by learning to love to read. Every child learns to read at a young age but learning to love to read is completely different and it is almost never taught in classrooms. When a child learns to love to read, they discover the power of words. They discover what words can do to you, how they can entrance and ensnare you in a story or tale and make it seem like a reality.

The secret for how words do this is described in five syllables of Hebrew that nearly every child knows from their days of pulling rabbits out of hats. The word is simply “abracadabra”. It is originally a Hebrew phrase meaning “I create what I speak”. (Smith)

This phrase unlocks the mystery as to why words have their power. They are not just descriptions. They are magical creatures that have endless, wonderful possibilities of how to enchant the mind. They shape mountains for us to climb, they fill pits for us to swim, they weave woods for us to lose ourselves in. They trap us in their captivating promises, predictions, and parables until we feel that words are more real than reality.

So many people don’t understand this power or how beautiful words can be. So many people have never picked up a book that can teach them to love to read. So many people are missing out on the infinite wonders I have come to enjoy so much. The wonders I hope to create for others someday.

All thanks to one five-syllable word: abracadabra.