“The last blog you wrote was kinda weak. It was really short. That’s not a blog.”
My husband spoke these words to me.
Now hold on before you get all judgemental on my critical husband.
He has always been honest with me. Courageously honest.
When I drag him to the store so I can find clothes, I count on his honesty to ensure I am making smart choices with our money.
“Does this dress make me look fat?”
The dreaded question that husbands and boyfriends dread.
His response “It looks like it’s uncomfortable.” Clever answer.
I can always count on his honesty, even if it might sting. Honesty can be an uncomfortable skill.
I had a friend in high school who had cats. She came to school smelling like, well, cats. I didn’t care that she had an odor. She was my bestie! But someone had told her she smelled. She asked me if she smelled. I felt trapped! I didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I lied and told her no. To this day, I wish I had told her the truth. She deserved the truth from her best friend and telling her the truth, in a nice and respectful way, could have saved her aggravation from other kids who continued to alert her to her scent. Maybe our friendship wouldn’t have unraveled and she wouldn’t have lost trust in me.
Honesty is a tough obstacle in our relationships. How can you be honest without hurting others?
I have discovered that my husband has a knack for helpful honesty. He is able to tell the truth without hurting.
God wants us to be honest with each other. Not just because lying is a sin but because He knows we have a difficult time trusting each other if we’re not honest. If I am not honest with a friend, how is this friend going to listen to me when I tell them about Salvation?
Because my husband is honest with me, I actually believe him when he says I’m beautiful (even when I swear I’m fat).
So when we were at the mall watching our daughter and niece play in the children’s area and he out-of-the-blue commented on my last blog, I knew it really was not my best work. It didn’t hurt my feelings; it made me want to write a better one. His comment also proved to me that he cares about my writing and he’s actually spending the time reading it!
And having a husband or boyfriend or bestie who is respectfully honest with you can strengthen your relationship.
Now if I can just get my daughter to be honest about why the dog is wearing my daughter’s headband. I honestly doubt “he just wanted to look pretty.”