Seedplanter’s Porch

I was thinking back to an incident that happened 20+ ago. We’d returned from a family camping trip, and planned to break open a watermelon from our garden. I’d anticipated that sweet, juicy melon all week. It was the first time we’d attempted to grow watermelon, and when we’d left on our trip, we noticed one of them would be ripe enough to eat when we got home.

But after dinner, I discovered that during our absence, somebody had helped themselves to that big, ripe melon.

A few minutes later while I was unpacking our car, three neighbor boys walked past. They were fourth-graders, friendly kids we often chatted with. One of them wore a grungy t-shirt stained with…red! He saw my gaze fall on that t-shirt and like a bumbling baby, started pointing his finger at the other two. They made me climb the fence! he confessed. The other two sprang into action and a stand-up comedy routine ensued as the three of them finger-pointed and yammered on about how the others were to blame.

I’ve added a Duel to my The Gift of Honesty Lens. I thought of the watermelon incident when I ran across a quote from Shakespeare: This above all, to thine own self be true. Please stop by and leave a comment. I’m interested in hearing your candid thoughts – really! Let’s have a healthy discussion here.

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*Watermelon Image via Wikipedia

Honesty isn’t something we slip into when the right mood strikes. It’s a character trait that’s developed early in life. Over time, like a butterfly squeezing from its cocoon, an honest mindset becomes a part of who we are–how we view our world, and how we react to difficult situations.

So begins my new lens, The Gift of Honesty, which sprang from a lesson I learned the hard way at the tender age of three.  It would have been easy for my dad to overlook that teachable moment, but instead, he saw the bigger picture and offered me a gift that has followed me all my life–a gift that truly keeps on giving.

As we shop and plan for the upcoming holidays and beyond, why not also consider ways to pass on priceless gifts that don’t require wrapping paper and ribbon. Gifts of the heart have the power to permanently bless their recipients long after the festivities end.

I’m living proof.

Later,

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