Reckoning for the Broken Bed

Growing up in Batesville, MS, I wish I had a dime for every time Mom told Mike and me no fighting in this house. We loved each other and still do, but we constantly fought as youngsters. We are 3.5 years apart and like a typical little brother — he had to do everything I did. This led to lots of conflict and since we shared a bedroom, lots of scuffles in the house. Mom was constantly breaking us up and at times she would spank us for being so disruptive (usually after several warnings). Thank goodness she did not “spare the rod” as we were two hard-headed boys. We quickly learned when we were approaching the point of no return.

One fateful afternoon, before Mom got home from work, Mike and I got into another scuffle in the bedroom. I think it was over a baseball cap or something important like that. As we swung each other around, we landed on Mike’s bed and CRACK! I can still hear that sound echo in my ears when I think about that afternoon. We completely broke the side wood brace on Mike’s bed and panic mode set in fast.

We had two options: (1) tell Mom what happened and apologize or (2)grab a hammer, nails and a small piece of wood to brace the break. For two young kids, we really did a good job repairing the side brace and putting the bed back together. We were golden for three whole days until Saturday when Mom stripped our beds to wash the sheets. The next crack was not the bed. I will leave it there.

It was evident to me then and even more so now — the cover-up always results in a worse outcome. We are always better off facing the truth, owning our mistakes and using these experiences to #beEvenBetter. This builds strong character and strong character leads to better decisions and frankly, more joy in our lives. Research even shows that most clients are more loyal after we make a mistake, own the mistake, communicate the mistake and make them whole. Owning our mistakes builds trust in all our relationships. Sorry, Mom!