Honesty....How far are you willing to go?

Despite having so many things in hand right now, I must insist on dropping an entry here, sharing with you one value that is clearly diminishing in value to the society these days.  Honesty. I don't know what has happened to us and this world that this is one of the hardest thing to do, besides saying 'I am sorry'. 

Yesterday, upon fetching my Nicole from school, the first thing she mentioned to me was "Mom, you forgot to sign my blue book (her homework list book). You signed my Nilam book (reading list book) but you forgot my blue book.  You fell asleep."  

"Oh, I am really sorry, Nicole, I was too tired to wait until you finished your homework.  So, what did you do? Did the teacher mad at you?" I asked her, to which she answered, "No, because we didn't have to submit the book today.  I signed for you, but I don't know.  I just wrote your name I-V-Y but I padam already. My writing is not nice. You sign there, okay Mommy?"

My heart sunk at that moment.  There she was, an honest little child, who hates to break any rule, who hates to be scolded by her teacher or anyone at all for not doing what she is asked to do, confessing her mistake for 'forging' my signature, because she was too afraid her teacher might scold her....for MY mistake, MY ignorance.

So, upon hearing her confession and plea, I looked at her and gently told her, "Nicole, I am sorry I forgot to sign your blue book.  But you don't have to forge my signature.  Just tell the truth to the teacher, tell her that your mummy fell asleep and forgot to sign your book. I will be the one to answer her, not you.  Okay?  Besides, you have already finished all your homework, right? By the way, I really appreciate you telling the truth.  Just please don't forge my signature again, okay?  It is just like you are cheating your teacher or stealing from me. It's not nice, okay? Thank you so very much for telling me the truth."

Well, if you think this is way too beautiful and that I made this up, hold your thought.  This IS how we actually talk.  I'd love her to be polite, to be respectful of others.  I want her to know that even though she is just a little kid, and I am her mother, I respect her, I do.... Then she'll learn to respect me, and others too. 

Above all, I want her to be really honest with me.  I won't penalize her for being honest, even if the thing that she confesses might be wrong, that will be my opportunity to explain to her why it is so (wrong), in gentle manner that she can easily digest and accept it, and incorporate the value in her.

Children never stop to amaze me in so many ways.  I personally doubt I have ever been THAT honest before in my entire life.  I built a wall around me, believing my own fabricated fact that I have to defend myself (and no other can do it better) and I will do anything to protect myself, even if I have to be a little dishonest.  This, however, in the end, brought me to the brink of destruction, and I have no one to blame but myself.

Let's all be honest, at least to ourselves, for once and for all.