Honesty is the best policy in any relationship. I remember when my husband and I were dating; we were extremely honest with one another. Consequently being honest involved pain and suffering because he told me the truth about me, and I told him the truth about himself. Of course we were young, and some things were not communicated in the best way...but as time went on we learned how to communicate the truth without hurting each other's feelings. I will discuss the importance of being honest in relationships.

Many times when we meet people, we put our best foot forward. We tend to show them the better part of who we are so that we can make a good impression. Now that's fine in the beginning stages... but as the relationship develops both parties in the relationship need to have the freedom to be who they are. This involves sharing their likes and dislikes, and what they want out of the relationship. Years ago, I wore a braided hairstyle that I thought was absolutely beautiful; I thought that I really looked good! But when my husband saw it, he thought that it was the ugliest hairstyle ever! He thought that the hairstyle was so ugly, that he helped me to remove the braids that night. Because we were so honest with one another, I wasn't upset with him at all for telling me the truth about my hair. As a matter of fact, we laugh about that situation until this day. You see, I could appreciate him telling me that my hair was ugly, than for me to think that I was looking good, only for other people to secretly laugh behind my back.

When couples are honest, trust becomes a pillar in the relationship. It establishes an understanding that if no one else will tell me the truth, my partner will. Communication is a big part of that... In my experience I have learned that it is not always what you say, but it is how you say it! However, both parties must also understand that it is important not to be overly sensitive. If the other person tells you the truth, you must make an effort to trully hear what they are saying, and understand that they love you enough to tell you the truth.

Many people get involved in relationships too quickly! They meet someone today, and marry them tomorrow, and they fail to go through the process of getting to know that person; not who they appear to be...but who they really are. Honesty and Trust are elements that take time to develop in any relationship. If couples truly want to be productive in their relationship they need to take the time to discover the hidden treasures of who the other person truly is; and that can only be exposed through honesty.