The funny thing about telling the truth is that it feels so much better than lying or being less than truthful. It feels lighter and freer – since I’m careful not to lie, I don’t have to remember all the things I might have said that were false. It’s been good for me, once I realized how important it is. People who lie are fairly easy to spot; they are never quite at peace and seem drawn to hatred and cruelty.

Believing lies is as corrosive as telling them, especially over the long run.

I was thinking a lot this morning about lies and how corrupting and damaging they are to a democracy and to the people who believe them and the people who don’t. I believe honesty is becoming a major political issue in our country, and for obvious reasons.

I have been working hard in recent years to be authentic, to share my life and represent it truthfully. So far so good. But all around me, lies swarm like mosquitoes after a rainstorm. I believe this is changing. Lies are bad for everyone; they corrode the soul and erode the spirit. It takes years to repair from lies, seconds to lie.

A challenge for me, perhaps a challenge for you.

Marrying an honest person has changed my life, humbled me, and inspired me. In the 20 years that I’ve known and lived with Maria, I have never known her to lie. She taught me that this is possible, and even that it grows strength and peace of mind. My blog has also taught me to be truthful and authentic. I never lie about my life or what is happening to it, good or bad, and as you know, I’ve owned up to an awful lot of flaws.

Truth is a sealer, a healer, now a sacred thing for me. I prayed this morning for truth to return to my country. I have faith that it will happen.

The picture captures the Pastoral feeling of the country and our farm. Maria is out on her morning meditation in the open, where she can be close to nature, her beloved animals, and her free spirit. I love that picture; it says so much. Zip agrees; he is always there.

It’s the only picture I took this morning. It says it all.