This morning I was getting ready for work and my wife said to me, “I don’t like your hair. You are doing it like an old man.” She’s a bully. I then turned around so she could take the dagger out of my back. Yes. I have been doing my hair differently. Several weeks ago I decided to let my hair grow out and try styling it a little different. Sort of like an 80′s throwback with the part and everything. People keep saying, “Oh. I see you are doing your hair differently.” Translated, this means, “I don’t like your hair” because if a person really likes a change you’ve made, they will usually compliment you and not just acknowledge the change. Right?
So, when my wife told me she didn’t like my hair, I wasn’t offended. I really wasn’t. She has earned the right to be honest with me. Leah and I have been married for almost 14 years (I’m doing the math in my head right now to make sure I got that right) and our relationship demands honesty, even when it may be offensive. So often in our relationships we hold back in fear of offending a friend or family member; however, your silence may be interpreted as approval. Although I would agree that honesty needs to be tactful, it is still important to be honest. The writer of Proverbs 27:6 has these words to say about lovingly rebuking a friend, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” If you love your friend, you will tell them the truth.
Oh well. The next time you see me, I’ll probably have a new haircut. I guess I’ll never be able to grow that mullet. My achy, breaky heart.
