Being honest

Henry slouched and rested his chin on the palm of his right hand.

He sat and kept on pondering why his friend Kate was so mad at him.

“Was it really that bad? I only said the truth,” he thought.

Henry sighed and while he was sitting with his lips pouting, his mother saw him and, out of curiosity, approached and asked him, “What’s up? Is there something bothering you?” Henry kept silent and stared at the floor.

His mother kept still and after a few moments said, “Henry, you can share it with me. You know I won’t reprimand you without knowing the whole story.” She sat beside him and asked, “Okay, so what happened?” Henry explained, “Kate asked me if she looked good with her new hair cut and I said my honest response. I said no.” Henry’s mom became quiet and Henry continued narrating, “She suddenly flicked her eyes toward me and then walked away without saying a word.” “I was just being honest,” he added.

Henry’s mother then answered in a soft tone, “It’s right to be honest. It’s true but you must be careful not to offend anyone, and you must remember to do it with good intentions.” Henry became silent and thought about it for awhile, taking time to understand.

Afterwards he said, “Thank you for taking time to listen, Mom.” “You’re always welcome,” she responded.

She stood up and added, “And don’t forget to say you’re sorry when you meet her again, okay?” “Okay, Mom.” Henry said and smiled.