The Burden of Deceit

The peace and quiet that settles over the house after the kids are in bed is a treasured commodity  around here.  Wednesday night, I was just settling in for a few moments of that luxurious P&Q when Kristen came bursting from her room, tears streaming down her face, her lip quivering like a leaf in the wind.  She barely managed to say "mama, I have to tell you and daddy something."  I braced myself and said "what is it, sweetie?"  Through another torrent of tears she said "remember that time the light bulb burst in the middle of the night.  Well, it didn't happen like I said."  "Okay, how did it happen?"  "Well, I was playing and washing one of my doll's dresses and put it on the light bulb to dry."  Me- "And it shattered the bulb?"   "Yes."  "And you lied about it?"  "Yes."  "Why did you lie?"  "I was afraid I would get into trouble."  "Why did you decide to tell me about this now?"  Through the final and most intense flood of tears, "I couldn't hold it in any longer."  

My little girl had been carrying around this burden for months.  It ate at her in the stillness of her bed.  These thoughts, along with guilt of my own, for understanding the fear that she felt was caused by knowing that I would have been very upset and angry had she told me the truth, crowded my mind.  For you see, I remember that night when she broke the light bulb and she had to come and get me out of my bed to tell me.  I don't remember her explanation for its breaking, but I do remember being concerned for her safety and making sure that all the glass was carefully cleaned up.  Had I known that she was playing when she was supposed to be in bed and taking the globe off of her lamp to dry a wet doll dress, I would have been just a little less concerned about the glass and a whole lot more concerned about her disobedience and foolishness.  And I'm not very nice when you get me out of bed, unless you're sick or bleeding or have some other emergency that you couldn't help!

We discussed how the truth is always better and how she learned two valuable lessons through all of this.  Never put anything on a light bulb and always tell the truth.  Deception is a cruel burden. It's the truth, no matter how hard it may seem, that sets you free.