Posted by Gertrude Winston on April 05, 2000 at 14:32:41:
I don't like being lied to, but sometimes I think I
give the impression that I would rather believe the
lie than the truth. That's what sucks about life.
The truth hurts, and sometimes we:
A. Lie to people so we don't hurt them and
B. Believe the lies people tell us so we don't have
to face the painful truth.
When my father was diagnosed with cancer, my parents
didn't tell me the real test results. They told me
it was nothing because it was my birthday and they
thought I couldn't handle it. I wanted to believe
them, but I knew more was going on.
I understand now that they wanted to protect me from
what was really going on, but I was 21 years old, and
was not only devastated by the news once I found out
but doubly devastated by the fact that they'd lied to
me. This was my first foray into adulthood.
Telling the truth takes courage. Even when we think
we're protecting someone, or caring for them by not
telling them the truth, it's more hurtful in the end.
And for those of us on the receiving end of the lie,
we're responsible, too. We need to let those people
around us know that we can handle the truth. -GW