Mom Traits: TRUTH

 

“Tell yourself the truth, Brooke.” 

 

Of all the things my mom said to me growing up, this one sticks out the most.  I still hear her in my head, especially whenever I’m tempted to have a pity party.  As a young girl, I once cried that no one liked me at school.  My mom said something like, “Well, for whatever reason, that one girl is being mean to you.  But tell yourself the truth:  you do have good friends and lots of people love you.”  Included in the truth talks was encouragement to think about God’s perspective, what He says and thinks about me. 

 

Another aspect of my mom’s focus on truth is how she speaks up when things aren’t right.  I respect how she finds a kind, but definitely direct, way of calling out the truth.  This is probably not my mom’s favorite story, but it comes to my mind as an example.  One time, my mom and her younger sister were spending time together; I believe at my aunt’s church service.  A woman in the foyer cheerfully introduced herself and commented on them being mother and daughter.  My mom smiled, but corrected the woman.  “Oh, I’m actually her sister.  We’re only four years apart.”  The woman continued to exclaim over how much they looked like a mother and daughter.  My truth-telling mama interrupted her (still in a friendly tone), “It was already kind of silly of you to make the comment in the first place, and now you’re continuing, which is just making me feel even worse!  So, you should probably switch to a new topic.”  I wanted my mom with me recently when a hairdresser compared me to Cousin It from the Addams Family.  I tried to use my mom's witty superpower:  “Isn’t my hair full and beautiful?  Much prettier than Cousin It, don’t you think?” 

 

My mom speaks truth to build others up too.  What she says is genuine – she means exactly what she says, even to the point of being a smidge awkward or embarrassing. 

 

I know that believing and speaking truth does not come easily for my mom.  She and I both have sensitive spirits and are prone to getting our feelings hurt.  We struggle with fixating on negative things people say.  I wonder if that’s why she worked so hard to help me focus on the truth?  Because she knows from experience that our spirits need what’s noble, right, true, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy  (Philippians 4:8 & 9).  My mom’s trait of truth has been a beautiful gift in my life.