There are only a few people in this world who you can pretty much always count on to be honest with you, and your mom is probably one of them. Most moms out there just want us all to live our best lives, and sometimes in order for that to happen, they have to keep it 100. The amount of times I've snapped at my mom, only to have her drop a, "Well Tayi, you know I'm just being honest," are more numerous than I care to admit. But here's why your mom being honest is the best thing that could ever happen to you.
First off, being honest even when you know it obviously isn't what someone wants to hear is one of the hardest things to do. Whenever I ask my friends if I look fat in something, the last thing I want them to say is, "Hmmm, I've definitely seen you in outfits that accentuate your assets better," but this is something a mom would totally say. When I recount the details of every fight I've ever had with a friend, you best believe my mom is going to swoop in and tell me when I'm actually the one in the wrong. Sometimes there's no one else we can trust like our moms to keep us on the straight and narrow. Here are four more reasons a mother's honesty is as ride-or-die as it gets.
Most of us have plenty of people in our lives who are willing to sugarcoat things for us. When I accidentally sent the most embarrassing drunk texts to an ex, all of my friends assured me that they really weren't that bad.
The minute I showed them to my mom, she said something to the affect of, "Please do yourself a favor and delete that loser's number, you're embarrassing yourself." Now, while this might seem harsh, finally deleting "this loser's" number was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Deep down, I knew that I was embarrassing myself, which is why I polled 15 different friends about their opinion on what happened, hoping they would all tell me what I wanted to hear. And spoiler alert, they did... but not my mom! She told me what I needed to hear, and that made all the difference.
Sometimes, hearing someone tell you the truth can really hurt. But the great thing about hearing the truth from your mom is that you can be 100 percent sure that she isn't trolling you. When honesty comes from a place of love (even if it feels like you've been stabbed with a serrated knife), coming to terms with things can be much easier. Plus, there's no reason to feel embarrassed in front of your mom, because she will love you no matter what.
After she drops the honesty bomb, nine times out of 10, mom will totally be there to let you cry it out. That one time I accidentally farted while doing a cartwheel in my third grade P.E. class was next-level embarrassing, and I'll never forget running to my mom's car after school and bawling my eyes out. My mom told me that while farting in front of everyone was indeed pretty embarrassing, pooping my pants would have been so much worse. Even through my tears, nine-year-old me could totally see her point.
Knowing that no matter what happens your mom has got your back is truly an awesome feeling. And having the self-awareness to know our shortcomings and how to improve them can be pretty difficult, but moms will always be there to call us on our bullsh*t and love us in spite of it.
At the end of the day, no one is perfect, but moms come pretty damn close if you ask me. They were the people who gave us life, and so it's only natural that they are the ones who are most invested in us succeeding. So the next time you're totally stumped on what to do, just call your mom already.
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