Honesty.

I like to think I'm honest. If I'm given the wrong change in a shop I give back the extra, if someone drops money in front of me I'll point it out. If a tax bill comes through that's too little I own up; well, you know they'll get you sometime...

If, however, you've just bought a 200 euro dress and you ask me what it looks like, I will tell you it looks perfect.....regardless. Where diplomacy is called for I will give it my all and I will lie and I rely on you to do the same to me.

H. and I have known each other for a long time and he openly admitted last night that he'd only recently learned that honesty's not always called for or even desirable. The incident he used to illustrate this point happened years ago before we were married which proves that I must love him indeed...

It was Spring and I'd found a bargain in a local dress shop; the prettiest Summer dress you've ever seen. It had spaghetti straps, was the sort of length and fullness that moves the air agreeably round your legs in the hot weather and was made of a very fine candy striped cotton. Remember we're talking years ago here....

I went home with a smile on my face, with that feeling you have when life's been particularly kind to you. H. was there and I couldn't wait to show him. I didn't expect him to understand the total awesomeness of the purchase: right price, right fit, right colour but I hoped he'd appreciate my pleasure.

So as I was pulling the dress out of the bag he said "Gosh, you've bought a deck chair"......

Guess how many times I wore that dress.

My big kids loved that story...