395. The Gift Of Honesty

When I encounter genuine honesty, it hits me with resounding force. The words I’m hearing are so unexpected that they almost seem comical. I was expecting more of the same, more of the performance that comes from following the norms of everyday life. But what I’ve received is something entirely different. It stands out so starkly that my immediate reaction is often laughter.

But as the words settle in and I begin to feel their weight, I discover they’re heavier than any I’ve recently heard. Then I realize this is no joke. These words carry a truth so significant that it feels incontestable. I’m not even able to respond to it because I’m left literally speechless.

When the honest truth arrives, I’m struck by its simplicity. I thought it would be long and complicated, but honesty is surprisingly austere. It feels almost other-worldly against the tapestry of ordinary life. I almost want to disregard it because of this uncomfortable discrepancy. I want to move on to things that fit with everything else, but I’m not able to do so for long.

If I try to push honesty aside, it returns again and again, arising from memory and invading my thoughts. I’m forced to give it real consideration. I have to reflect on its implications and on what it means for me personally. For regardless of the source of honesty, I am the one who must come to terms with it. Not just in its particular expression, but as an inescapable part of my reality.

Receiving honesty, I’m no longer able to go on as I was. I’m now required to change. For to accept the honesty of another person, I must also become more honest. It is the encounter with honesty itself that makes my own words and actions more truthful than they otherwise would be. And this is why honesty is always a gift I must accept with the utmost gratitude.