I believe telling the truth is important. People need to have confidence that what is being communicated is true. To me truth is foundational in any relationship. I think we have to be as truthful as possible with everyone all the time.

Sometimes I ask my husband something that is important to me and he says, "I'm not going to answer that." Of course, that does answer that. It's frustrating, but at least it's not a bold face lie. He doesn't want to say yes, but no would be a lie, so he avoids. Or maybe you could say he is protecting his boundaries.

Recently someone asked me if I know what one of my old CFIs is doing career wise. I said no. I should have said, "I am not at liberty to discuss that." It really bothered me and the next day I had to say to that friend, "I am sorry. I lied to you. I do know. But I would be betraying a confidence if I talked about it. And I will keep your business private as well... ." My friend laughed. Then he said thanks. Thanks that it was important enough to me to not lie to a friend. This is the lie I do tell: I am fine...or awesome. We all tell that lie I think. How are you I am fine. I'm not a big fan of superficial social exchange. I rarely ask the question, I just smile nod and say hello.

In my home, occasionally things are broken. There was a shallow glass bowl in the foyer for catching mail. It was recently broken. How did that happen? "Does anyone know how the green bowl got broken?" No one had a clue. Nope, I don't know. It just seems like someone must know. How could a big bowl break and just go unnoticed? The green bowl was moved to the garage, to that bin of broken things that I am hoping to create something lovely from.

The peach - pictured at the top of this post - is one of my favorite things. I like the simplicity of terracotta pottery. Then you open it and ... my favorite of favorite colors is glazed inside. I would love it even if I could never open it, but when I did I was delighted to find that it fit me perfectly. It truly is just peachy. I keep it put up, out of sight, out of harms way. I don't know if it will survive the hustle and bustle of what is my life right now, but I hope to have it sitting out where I can enjoy it often one of these days.

How do you build a truth teller? I thought I knew. I thought it was by being truthful myself. I thought I could express to my children how critical it is for me to be able to believe them at all times ... and for them to be able to believe me. But what I am seeing is that they are willing sometimes to sacrifice character for convenience. My husband said there is no penalty for lying in our home. We gotta fix that.

That bowl that was broken is just a bowl. I put it out because it was pretty, but replaceable. I liked seeing it. When no one was able to tell the story of how the bowl was broken, something else got broken. Where that bowl was, is a reminder that someone preferred to tell a little lie. I guess we all tell them. Iamfine when really I am maybe just a little bit less then fine, but I know what you expect to hear thankyouforasking.

Why am I thinking about this specifically this morning? For one thing, I visited with someone last night who told me that a relationship she would like to nurture has hit a snag ... her friend is unable to trust her probably because he has seen that she is comfortable with tiny white lies. It's sad. Relationships are built on trust. Truth may be a perception, truth may be a perspective. I understand that it is not always black and white, but it's not about definition or semantics as Bill Clinton said either. When we start skating around the truth (as we know it at very least) we are breaking more then people's confidence. I think we are breaking things that are really important. Values.

You can't really glue a broken thing back together can you? The best you can hope for is to create something useable, maybe lovely, maybe even better (if you're really good at seeing what can be rather then what was) out of the broken pieces. Sometimes, like a jar of peaches, there is nothing you can do to "fix" it. Those things you just gotta give to God (who is really good at making messes in to something right). And try to not be so careless with things that are important. Make an effort to understand the truth. Sometimes it's messy - or complicated.

I love that my little broken ankle is stronger then it was before it was broken. I love that it is still an ankle! Broken isn't always lost.

Broken is a mess that God can work with if we trust Him. Broken may also be a mess that we can avoid if we trust Him. That's what I am thinking about today.

While I was typing this post Three sent me a text requesting that "Mango Habanero Pico de Gallo stuff" that I make. He says he's craving that. I think I can work that in to my day.