Beautiful Lies, Beautiful Girls
Cici wanted me to bring her some noodles (in a cup) to eat while we drive home because she is very hungry, Ping told me one day last week. But I brought her oatmeal instead, because I don't want her to eat noodles. I told her that Papa ate all the noodles.
But we have plenty of noodles, I replied. Cici was with me when we bought them. Why don't you just tell her that you don't want her to eat the noodles because you think they are not good for her? Because then she would tell me all the way home how she really wanted to eat noodles, Ping reasoned.
In China, Ping continued, we call this a beautiful lie. When you can't tell someone the truth because it would hurt them, it is okay to tell a beautiful lie. We call them little white lies, I told her. But Cici will see through this one because she knows I am not eating those noodles in a cup any more. Cici was a good sport about it, but she didn't eat all of the oatmeal.
Yesterday I told Ping I needed to go to the mall to buy some dress pants. I asked Cici if she wanted to go to the mall with us. No, Cici said, I just want some time at home. I will go with you but I want to sleep for a while first, Ping said. You sleep. I can go alone, I told her.
As I was putting on my shoes, Cici came bounding through the home office. I will go with you Papa, she said. But you wanted some time at home, I objected. I can go to the mall alone. No Papa, she insisted, I want to go with you.
Why the sudden change? I wondered. We drove to the mall and I bought the pants. Then I suggested to Cici that we walk through the mall and get her favorite ice cream cone for her to eat. She happily agreed. As we walked through the mall, I asked her why she had suddenly changed her mind about staying home. Mama told me you were going to go to the mall alone, she said. Neither of us wanted you to be alone, so I said I would come with you so that Mama could take a nap.
The girls sure are sweet, even if they do tell beautiful lies.
But we have plenty of noodles, I replied. Cici was with me when we bought them. Why don't you just tell her that you don't want her to eat the noodles because you think they are not good for her? Because then she would tell me all the way home how she really wanted to eat noodles, Ping reasoned.
In China, Ping continued, we call this a beautiful lie. When you can't tell someone the truth because it would hurt them, it is okay to tell a beautiful lie. We call them little white lies, I told her. But Cici will see through this one because she knows I am not eating those noodles in a cup any more. Cici was a good sport about it, but she didn't eat all of the oatmeal.
Yesterday I told Ping I needed to go to the mall to buy some dress pants. I asked Cici if she wanted to go to the mall with us. No, Cici said, I just want some time at home. I will go with you but I want to sleep for a while first, Ping said. You sleep. I can go alone, I told her.
As I was putting on my shoes, Cici came bounding through the home office. I will go with you Papa, she said. But you wanted some time at home, I objected. I can go to the mall alone. No Papa, she insisted, I want to go with you.
Why the sudden change? I wondered. We drove to the mall and I bought the pants. Then I suggested to Cici that we walk through the mall and get her favorite ice cream cone for her to eat. She happily agreed. As we walked through the mall, I asked her why she had suddenly changed her mind about staying home. Mama told me you were going to go to the mall alone, she said. Neither of us wanted you to be alone, so I said I would come with you so that Mama could take a nap.
The girls sure are sweet, even if they do tell beautiful lies.
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