Trust

Trust is such a fragile porcelain flower, beautiful and intricate. Also immensely breakable. When trust is given, there is a bond built and a feeling of safety ensnares those entwined through this link of trust. In some cases this bond is the only thing keeping our heads above water or keeping us from falling off the cliff into chaos. But in other cases, trust lulls people into a feeling of complacency and when the trust is shattered... they are blindsided and react to the extreme.

In any relationship there is only so close you can get before trust is necessary in where your conversations will lead. Whether it's trusting them with your feelings or in trusting them with an important job instead of doing it yourself.

Trust is something that some give freely and something that others hold tightly to and never truly let others in because of this. Where is the balance? How can we trust without getting stabbed in the back? Even myself? I don't trust quite as much. I do trust others (very few people) but I do trust those I'm very very close to.

Long ago it was learned that my own words are not quite as trustworthy. In some instances when I was little, I lied to get my siblings in trouble and cried crocodile tears to get my way. Once I accidentally lied to someone very close to me because I wanted to tell him what I knew he'd be happy hearing, I was so terrified of disappointing him that I told him what he wanted to hear... but it was a lie. So when I told him the truth a week later the damage was done and trust was shattered.

There are no little white lies, all lies are like small snakes coiling slowly around the porcelain flower, calmly and slowly coiling tighter and tighter, until the result is a shattered mess for both people to clean up.

Something learned from multiple experiences in life is that honesty is the foundation for any relationship friendships or otherwise. If you lie, hide secrets, go against the truth... you are slowly squeezing the porcelain flower. It will shatter, it's only a matter of time.

The best hope is to stop the snake before it's too late, to be honest, rebuild trust and fill in the pressure cracks in the porcelain. Some advice? Don't entertain the snake at all. Don't do anything dishonest and stay trustworthy. If people trust you, you won't be cleaning up the porcelain aftermath of your mistake. If you've already shattered other's trust—try try try to rebuild it. Do you very best and perhaps the flower will become even more beautiful than it was in the first place.

A Masterpiece

The masterpiece that is creating the porcelain flower is a beautiful complicated and delicate process. It is both dangerous and difficult for the porcelain as it could possible shatter at any point, trust is the same way. It is built carefully and delicately. Through acts of kindness, and loyalty trust can be built into something incredible... Maybe you're not an artist, maybe you don't care for the porcelain flower analogy, think of it like several ropes woven into one thick cord. The cord is much less likely to break and will definitely be there to support you. Once a strand is broken on the cord, it is weakened. If multiple strands break, there is no support from the rope in fact, trusting the rope at that point could lead to certain doom. The same story is true for a chair. We trust chairs and oftentimes don't check their stability before sitting in them, unless they appear untrustworthy we tend to trust them. If one day you were to sit in a stable looking chair and it collapsed under you, you would be much less prone to trusting any chairs without first cautiously sitting to check their stability. That is also how many people are when it comes to trust.

The Chair

Some are incredibly trusting and jump into relationships, friendships, etc. with full vigor and excitement until the day their trust is shattered. That is when the chair collapses. After that moment some would prefer to rely on themselves instead of trusting people just as some would prefer standing as opposed to sitting in a breakable chair. Why is trust such a delicate thing? Because if you were to give someone a gift and that person acted like they liked it one moment then smashed it the next moment... you wouldn't want to give them gifts anymore. Its fragile because it is one of the greatest gifts that can be given.