Words we say ..

The "How are you?" question has been a challenge for my ministry. It is a question that rolls off my tongue as I am a Maritimer (Eastern Canada). We ask "Hi. how are you?" as a greeting. Sometimes, it is in passing, sometimes in concern. I was reading another blog. It brought to mind one of the first clients/residents I had in my Clinical chaplaincy training. One of my residents said to me..."do you really want to know?" I remember telling her, "of course I do, I wouldn't ask if I didn't mean it". That was a learning moment for me. To learn the value of the words we say.