My older sisters tell the story of how they were driving home from church one day, and as they traveled, they both began to say critical things about some boy at church. Being pre-teens, they seemed to focus on every negative aspect of this young man. My Mother listened as they piled on their criticism. When my Mother found a moment to interject, she said, “Yes, but he has nice teeth!”

They have re-told that story many times over the years, and we have laughed together when they re-tell it. But buried just underneath the storyline is an amazing lesson that my Mother was trying to teach them. And I think it was years later before they could really grasp a hold of what message my Mom was trying to communicate. You see, perhaps what my sisters were saying was true about this young man…perhaps! But what my Mother was teaching most beautifully is that you look for the good in someone, not the bad. Because, well…choosing to criticize someone else is pretty easy to do, and oftentimes we do it to make ourselves look and feel better about ourselves. My Mother was a woman who taught us to look for the good, not only in others, but in ourselves.

This story has endured in my family, not because of the humor, but because of the lesson it teaches. It’s a lesson we all need to incorporate into our lives.