Just Let Me Be Wrong

by Joanne Wiklund

Wrong is a hard thing to be. Especially if you’re an itinerant story teller. I have been wrong and stood corrected. Hubby was so tolerant when I messed up telling a family story, put the details in the wrong sequence, included people who may or may not have been there. I try my best to tell the truth, even when I repeat myself. My grandsons signal me when that happens by merely saying, “Yes, I know, Grandma.” But as we age we do tend to repeat ourselves and we sometimes come out all wrong. Should we correct each other no matter what?

I find I can remember things from years ago easier than I can remember yesterday or even sometimes what day it is. This pandemic has a lot of us doubting ourselves and being concerned about our memory. At this house, as we got older, it was hard for either one of us to tell the same story the same way all the time. And it was hard for each of us to sit through a newer version of an older story. After 63 years, there were a lot of stories we could tell. I remember one disagreement we had and it was not pretty. I finally said, “Look, I know a couple of things, and this is one of them.”

For the first time since we began that discussion, he suddenly grinned at me and asked sincerely, “What’s the other one?” I was mad for a few hours but then I saw the humor in it. We made up. We knew how, we’d had nearly 66 years of practice. But I used to tell him, “Just let me be wrong. Don’t correct me in front of anyone else. If it’s not illegal or no one will be hurt by it, just let me tell my story.”  He did finally understand. When he was so sick, I would tell him, “You know, here we are. Another morning in our kitchen having breakfast. You with your coffee, me with my toast. We are in our own home, but most of all, we can still see each other, we can both still talk, you know who I am and I know who you are. We are truly blessed.” Counting our blessings includes counting those near and precious to us. Also may we give others a blessing by letting them be wrong, as long as no one’s feelings are hurt. Tomorrow is another day to correct things in quiet at home.

Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

Col. 4:6 “Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.”

Romans 12:2  “And be ye not conformed to the world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Romans 15:32 “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.”