Truth

Truth
GBE2 #29


I don't believe there is any one character flaw that will end a friendship with me more quickly than the inability to tell the truth.  I don't care that you tell me a funny or silly story of something from your life and embellish it a bit, that's just fun and entertaining.  If, however, you tell me an out and out lie to protect me, to protect someone else or just because you don't know the difference between the truth and a lie, I'm more than likely not going to be around to hear the next story you want to tell.  If you tell me a lie because you want me to believe something that isn't true, all I can say is that I don't play like that.


I appreciate honesty.  I appreciate people who just look me in the eye and say, "I am not impressed with that."  Assuming I did something with which they found fault.  I say, "Just tell me.  I will never know what you like and don't like, if you don't tell me."  I find lots of kind ways to say that I don't care for something.  It is a bit of an effort to be honest and not cause undue hurt feelings, but still and all, I find it so much more helpful in my life to deal with people who can just tell the truth.  That being said, there is no need to be mean or hurtful when doing so.  Just because you may have done something I don't like does not mean I don't like you.  It is also not an excuse for me to just be blatantly mean or hateful.  I could just simply say, "I really think what you did was atupid uncalled for."  There will probably be a conversation following, then it is even more important to be kind.  Be honest, but do so kindly.


There was a time when I sort of forgot that important thing about being honest and kind.  I didn't mean to be unkind, honestly, but I didn't engage my filter, I just spoke immediately.  I will tell the story one day, but not today.  It's not a pretty story.  It's one of my most immature and embarrassing adult stories and naturally, it involved my children.  *Hiding my face now.*  Another blog, another day.


What I would like to see more of and don't see enough of ever, is people living honestly.  I mean living the life which exudes who they are.  Doing things that make you smile, make you feel fulfilled or just plain need to be done and you are the one who needs to do those things and doing them with a positive attitude.  Doing things because that is your job. Doing things because they are the right thing.  Living to your potential and giving to your limit.  Giving of yourself until you are just exhausted.  That is good, honest living.


It is also good honest living to sit back every now and then and appreciate what is all around you. Not only the people, but also what nature has provided outside your windows and what you have provided inside your windows.  People say all the time that they don't need things, they just need people.  I need both.  I'm not ashamed to say that I love my home.  I love most of the things with which we have filled our home.  I am very comfortable here.  I'm at home here and my soul is settled here.  My heart smiles here.  I'm honestly living the life I have always hoped to be able to live one day.  (A few things are yet to come, but for the most part.) 


If I were to be totally honest, (I think I will, for a change of pace) I would admit that I would like my children and their children around me more often. If I could, I would make all of them move to within a couple of miles of us so we could just stop in whenever and the kids could just hang with us for a few hours whenever.  I, quite honestly would be on cloud 9 if that were to happen, but I am okay with knowing they all care about us and enjoy being with us from time to time.  I don't suppose I would ever think they spent enough time with us, after all we sacrificed to get those people raised up to be decent humans!  (Kidding, a little.)  Maybe I wouldn't appreciate them so much if they were all around all the time.  I'd like to find out, I think.




Truth, I believe, always comes out eventually. Sometimes with a little help from your friends and sometimes with a slip of your own tongue, but always with more pain than if it had been told in the first place.  Protecting someone by not being truthful is rarely, if ever, the answer.


In the end, the truth does set you free.


Jo