Nov 21 2008
That is the question
Among the many things we experience in our lives, we are blessed with the gift of friendship. I’m not talking about people you are friendly with….people you say hi to every day at work. I’m talking about the friendships that are made of up the people who are your family. They’ve been in your life so long, and have been so involved in your life that they are your family. They have held your hand through a thunder storm and not laughed at you when you were so afraid you cried- even though you were 25. They have seen you at your best and your worst- and through those times, they have held you while you cried, laughed when you had the giggles, and listened to you talk for hours- just because they knew it would make you feel better. They know what makes you tick- because they know your secrets, but no one else will ever know your secrets because they will never tell. You have also done all of this for them.
The friendships that we are blessed with come with privileges and responsibilities. It is a privilege to be trusted, but it comes with a responsibility. A responsibility to keep secrets, to hold information in-without comment- even if it hasn’t been specified as a secret. And when you trust someone it comes with privileges and responsibilites. It’s a privilege to trust because, let’s be honest here, you cannot trust just anyone. It truly is a blessing to have someone you can trust. Truly trust. Not everyone has that. You have a responsibility as well. It’s a responsibility because you trust works both ways. See where I’m going with this?
I learned a difficult lesson tonight, and while I’m not going to air someone else’s dirty laundry, I am going to say that I feel like I cannot trust this person. I know this person so well that I knew before I even talked to them that they was going to lie to me. This friend does not make a habit of lying to me, though it has happened before. I always felt that our friendship had become stronger because we had gotten over it, became better people for it, and moved on. Now, I am questioning…..did that enable this person to lie to me again and again? Did I forgive too easily?
To trust or not to trust, that is the question.
