Petunia

The greatest gift we can give another person is the gift of ourselves. When we can share our deepest convictions and failures, our ideals and disillusionments, our hopes and frustrations, our dreams and despairs, our answers and our questions then we are loving our neighbors as ourselves as well as loving our enemies.

A friend put it this way: If I share the whole of me with you, I share the good as well as the bad. I don't hide anything of myself from you, not in a deep friendship, or a deep marriage for that matter. By sharing some things I hate about myself, I'm loving my inside enemy. I'm telling you I'm still human and have a lot of growing to do. I'd love to tell you only about all my good points: it would make me feel a lot better, but it wouldn't be sharing all of me with you.

TODAY I will concentrate on sharing my insides and outsides with another. I will listen to myself as I talk. I will not be satisfied if I sit on my laurels or wallow in my woes. I will improve myself by becoming aware of how I communicate to others.

From the book The Reflecting Pond by Liane Cordes

Truth

i really liked that- thanks
i have always felt ( from my mother ) that u have to hide the bad parts of u and that if u don't the person ur with will not love u so that was really a good reminder for me

bjmt

Petunia,like this. My Mom was one..she taught us to never reveal all of ourselves to anyone..good or bad! Pretend to be someone else. Don't think she liked herself much. Pretending to be someone we aren't only created a mystery affect and people can't get to know the real you. Funny how kids can be affected by what their parents do! It carried on to my generation. I grew up doing what my Mother did. Pretending....
What you have said rings very close to home. Thanks.