I was determined to not come back until I found it. How hard could

it possibly be to find something so many people were already looking

for?


The day was hot, I sure did hope that I'd get this done sooner than

later. Maybe there was someone, or something that could help me.


"Hey there! Little boy!"


Startled, I looked around to find where the calling had come from.


"Hello?" I replied, unsure.


"On the rock, over here," said the voice.


I quickly glanced to the rock and found a very bulky frog sitting

there, almost patiently.


"Excuse me sir," I announced timidly. "I am looking for something,

can you help me find it?"


"I'll give my best efforts," the frog replied. "What are you looking

for?"


"I'm looking for the truth."


"The truth?" The frog exclaimed. "You don't want to find the truth,

kid! The truth is ugly!"


"Yeah but-"


"No can do, you're much better off without it," said the frog and with

that, he hopped away.


How strange. If the truth is ugly, why do so many people try so hard

to find it?


Nevertheless I walked on, hopeful to find the truth, or someone that

could help me find it.


"Hey little boy," grumbled another voice coming from behind a tree.


"Hello! Can you help me?" I asked the voice.


A bear emerged from the tree and began to lazily walk in my

direction.


"Sure, what can I do?" Asked the bear.


"I'm looking for the truth, can you help me find it?"


"The truth?" The bear exclaimed. "The truth hurts. Trust me when I

say you should just drop the subject and go home kid, it's useless."


As the bear grumbled away, I wondered how the truth could not

only be ugly, but also hurt. Disappointed, I kept looking.


By the time a third voice called out to me, I was ready to turn

around and go home.


"Hello," I mumbled with a heavy heart. "I don't know if it's of any

use asking, but can you help me find something?"


"I'd love to help!" Replied the voice. I looked around and couldn't

find to whom the voice belonged to.


"I'm looking for the truth," I said, ready to find out something else

that would make me hate the truth even more.


"Why are you trying to find the truth?" Inquired the voice.


That took me by surprise. Out of all of my encounters, this one was

the first that asked me why. And then I realized, just because the truth

had been ugly to the frog, and it had hurt the bear, that didn't mean the

truth had to be something bad for me.


"Earlier today," I began. "My mom didn't believe me when I told her

that I had a real conversation with our cow. So she said "Come back

when you have the truth!" and I've been looking for it all day, and I still

have nothing to show her!"


The voice gave a sweet laugh.


I looked down, and it was a small mouse chuckling away.


"The truth doesn't always have to be shown to others," explained

the mouse. "As long as you know it's the truth, then it is good enough.

Your mother's truth might be slightly different from yours, and that is

okay."


A twig snapped and the startled mouse scurried off. I turned around

to find my mother desperately reaching out to me.


"I've been looking for you everywhere!" She cried out as she

hugged me. "Where have you been?"


"I've been looking for the truth!"


"Did you find it?" She asked, laughing a little, relieved.


"Yes I did!" I exclaimed. "The little mouse helped me find it, but I

can't show it to you, because as long as it's true to me, it's okay."


My mom kissed my forehead and looked at me somewhat sadly. I

knew that maybe my truth had been good enough for me, but it's funny

how that same truth, had been so ugly to her.