I have a question for you, “Is Honesty the Right Policy?”  Think about the last time someone asked you how you were doing and you replied that you were “okay”.  Lies create distance and destroys relationships – is that what you want?  Even the most honest of us face a contradiction between our need for honesty and the temptation to lie about our grief. At times lying seems easier than honesty – spare their feelings, preserving assumptions and making us look stronger than we are!  But the closer you want a relationship to be, the more truth you must tell.  It’s that simple. The relationship you have with yourself is the most important of all.  If you want your life to work, you have to be honest with yourself – the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The more we align ourselves with the truth, the happier our inner voice will be.  Believing lies will just make you miserable, so notice when you’re feeling terrible and ask yourself, “What am I afraid of showing to the world?” Dishonesty can be catastrophic so sit still and listen to the truth.  If you never lie to yourself, you will have clarity to heal and form new relationships with even more honest people. There’s no need to blurt out all your past to everyone that crosses your path.  Remember closeness increases with honesty, but not everyone is worthy of being a close, tell all kind of friend.  Open up to the ones you care about the most, including yourself. Mary Francis, The Sisterhood of Widows