I swear... Trust me... I give you my word... Honest...
I will always... I will never...
Simple words to say, but it's the words that follow which are usually not as simple to live up to. Sure, most of the things I've promised in my life have been lighthearted. Most of them have been made with the same breath as a laugh, the kind you would like to keep but neither you nor the person being promised to believes you will because of how subtle it is.
The older I get though, the more sincere my promises have become. "I promise I'll be there." "If you ever need my help..." "I won't let that happen." I've begun to promise things which require real dedication, real commitment, and sometimes even real sacrifice. The kind of promises that require more than the hope to one day be fulfilled, more than the option of trying my best. Sometimes I make them without thinking them through as I did when young, without realizing how the words I've spoken will, or at least should affect my actions from that point on. I've made them while thinking of how the accomplishment would feel rather than the process of getting there in the first place.
I don't really know what I'm trying to say here. I guess I just wanted to share one of the most important lessons I've learned these past few years. Yes, I should've learn and/or realized this a long time ago, like I'm sure others have, but I figure it's better to have learned it now than later, or even never.
What is that lesson, exactly? Always keep your promises. Maybe you can negate a promise if the person you've promised to doesn't want you to keep it anymore, but for the most part I'd say always do your best to be true to your word. Not only does it teach you commitment and sincerity, but it will also show others the respect, devotion, and even love you have for them by living up to the expectations you've given them to place on yourself.
Some promises are more difficult to keep than others, and sometimes the difficulty of any promise simply depends on the moment. But if you can pull through and do your best for the people you care about, even when it may seem too much to ask of anyone, then I think you are the best kind of person out there.
