Without reservation

Trust.  A short word for a complex, intricate concept...  By definition, it is "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc. of a person or thing" Man, that sure encompasses a lot!  Upon some conversations I've had recently, this tiny word has brought up some reflection within me that I think is relevant to all.  First of all, how is trust acquired and given?  Are you the kind of person who requires trust to be earned through a series of tests and trials that naturally occur over time?  Or are you the kind of person who freely gives it to others without hesitation?  And why?

For me, I've lived 20-plus ;) years handing it out like candy.  It flows from me organically and is part of me through and through.  Pros:  I've not been afraid or inhibited to engage in meaningful and beautiful relationships from the get-go.  I must brag that I have some of thee best, most genuine friends on the planet.  The kind of friends you have a deep soul connection with; the kind that, later on in life, will join me in sipping wine spritzers on my front porch, wearing a mumu or some other ungodly frock, surrounded by cats, yelling at kids to get off my lawn.  In my opinion, trusting immediately opens both people up and sends a positive message off which to launch the relationship.  No worries equals calm contentment.  Cons:  Being burned, lied to, made to feel the fool.  Gee, can I count how many times?  Lied to with words, and lied to with silence.  Isn't it all the same?  Nevertheless, I just jump right back on and keep on riding...  It's interesting how resilient I am with trust, possessing a sense of blind optimism and faith in people to be real at all times.  Perhaps it's just that I sincerely do think people do their best with where they're at at that given moment in time.  Or maybe I just really want to be trusted in the same way in which I give, with equal dimension and depth.

I remember a summer camp incident in my awkward tweens where my "trust fall teammates" were supposed to catch me and never did.  Splat goes Christy!  As I got up and limped through the dirt, pretending I was invincible, I recall immediately forgiving this oversight by my obviously non-trustworthy counterparts.  No questions asked.  Bruised ego, pulled ligament, I figured why add to negative outcome?  This innate confidence has it's pitfalls; nevertheless, it's something about myself I will never change.  Perhaps it's part of my unique signature on each amazing relationship I hold and those I continue to discover and develop.  

"Trust men, and they will be true to you.  Treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great." -Ralph Waldo 'tha man' Emerson