The Gift of Authenticity

"Let the inner man and the outer man be one" is how Socrates said it. Today we call it authenticity. Being real. Living to the highest within us. Being true to our best selves.

Recently I received the gift of authenticity from Denise, whom I had just met. She had offered her home in San Miguel de Allende to guests for a mutual friend's wedding. Happily, my husband and I were invited to be one of only a few people to stay in this beautiful home in the old city, only a few blocks and easy walk from the hotel where the wedding occurred.

In this home, peace prevailed. It wasn't just the layout or the decor or the lush plants in the courtyard with fountain. It was the authenticity of the owner. 

Denise realized during the wedding festivities that she wasn't feeling well, so she left early to go to bed, where she stayed for the next few days. The last night we were there, she felt well enough to join us for dinner. We had invited her to a restaurant (our treat), but she didn't feel that going out would be good for her, so we found some leftover quiche that we had bought a couple of days before in the market. To that, we added some greens and peppers and tomatoes that she had in the refrigerator. For dessert, we sliced some fresh peaches and grapes that we had just bought on the street, combining them with apples we found in the refrigerator for a dessert fruit salad. We enjoyed conversation over this simple, uncomplicated, elegant meal.

The entire time we were there, we felt free to do what was right for us, with no obligations or expectations, no pretense or orchestration. Peace is the simple gift of authenticity.

You write it:  When have you received the gift of authenticity? When have you given it?