Yabbut the Rabbit

Once upon a time there was a cute, fluffy bunny named Yabbut. Actually, that was his nickname - his real name was Buddy. But from the moment he started talking, his favorite word was "yabbut", and once his friends started calling him that, the name sort of stuck - that's the way nicknames work, you know.

Yabbut wasn't a teenaged bunny anymore. He had a wife and family, and he worked very hard to make things nice for them. Their rabbit home was big, roomy and nicely furnished. His wife had nice clothes,  a nice car and lots of fun jewelry to wear. The kids always had the latest video games and the "cool" stuff to wear. Yabbut felt good about what he was able to give his family.

One day, he got a surprise phone call from one of his high school friends. They hadn't talked in years. Yabbut was amazed that his friend had called, and they had a wonderful talk. They ended with Yabbut inviting his friend to come over to visit for the weekend.

All week long, it was all Yabbut could do to stay focused on work and not think about all the fun he and his friend would have. Finally, Saturday morning arrived. Yabbut got up early and puttered around the yard waiting for his friend. Finally a car he didn't recognize pulled into the driveway and his friend stepped out.

"Yabbut the Rabbit!" his friend called, "you look great!"

"Yeah, but I could stand to lose a few pounds!" Yabbut grinned.

Yabbut shook his friend's hand warmly and was surprised when his friend grabbed him in a great bear hug.

"Come on in!" Yabbut invited as they made their way to the front door.

Yabbut's wife opened the door, and Yabbut made the introductions. "You have a beautiful wife," his friend complimented him. "Yeah but she's a terrible cook," was the reply.

Yabbut showed his friend around the house and for every compliment that he received, true to his name, he would respond with, "Yeah, but..."

His friend, after visiting for the day at Yabbut's house, drove home, and as he did so, he made a commitment to himself to never visit Yabbut again. "That was the gloomiest, most depressing home I have ever been in," he thought to himself.

As the years rolled by, Yabbut found himself divorced and alone. His children never called or came around, and his neighbors avoided him.

If only he had realized that when you say the word, "but", you have just denied everything you said prior that. A comment such as, "I love your home, but the carpets need cleaning," is the same as saying, "I don't like your house because it has dirty carpets."

Don't be a Yabbut the Rabbit. Just smile pleasantly and say, "Yeah, you're right."