Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was onto something when he wrote “the voice is the organ to the soul.” With each pump of our voice, our souls are filled. When we hear the sound of a parent’s voice, child’s voice or spouse’s voice, our souls vibrate like the body of a guitar when the strings are plucked. Voice is a universal organ that beats loudly, giving life to others and ourselves.
As always before we continue, we want to break down and define the word “voice”. If we look at the full definition of voice in Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary, voice in the form of a noun is “the sound produced by vertebrates by means of lungs, larynx, or syrinx; especially: sound so produced by human beings.” Voice used as a verb simply means to express in words. The root word of voice is “voc”, which is derived from the Latin words vox (voice) and vocāre (to call).
When we took a deeper look at the word voice, we were struck by the lengths the physical body goes through to produce our verbal vibrations. Seeing this, it’s clear that what each of us verbalizes is important. Our voice reveals what’s deep in our soul. American author Laurie Halse Anderson said it best when she wrote, “When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” If we don’t speak, we lose our voice and our soul remains barren unable to be part of something bigger.
In light of current circumstances in our world, our country and our communities, it’s important to not only voice what’s good and just, it’s also extremely important to give voice to those we have rendered voiceless. The positive vibrations of our voice have the power to start a movement that can mend the broken and the hurting. By using our voice to say to your neighbor, “I hear you and I will scream with you,” you give that person’s soul the jolt of life it needs. Instead of using your voice to break down, use your voice to listen. Use your voice to unite the shattered and torn. Imagine the health of the soul of the human race if we all harmoniously combined our voices.
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