12 Things You Don't Know About Me

You've seen this all over Facebook, Pinterest, Etc. You like someone's posting and in turn they assign you a number so that you can write down things that most people don't know about you in accordance to your issued number.
Well, my number was 12.
Here we go:

1) I won the City Park 4th of July Pie Eating Contest 5 years in a row. I would've extended that but they started using really nasty pies donated by the worst bakery in town!

2) I also won the City Park 4th of July Watermelon Eating Contest 3 years in a row. Unfortunately my younger brother likes watermelon much more than I do & he stole and held onto the title for 6 years.

3) I took ballroom dancing lessons throughout a good portion of my childhood. I also attended more Cotillions and Debutante Balls than any sane person outside of 18th Century Vienna would ever want to.

4) I loathe clowns. Not that I'm scared of them, I just find them distasteful and far too needy. They're not funny and rather annoying.

5) I never received flowers at work on Valentine's Day until I was 50 years old. That's not too say I never received presents at work on Valentine's Day, I'd just never received flowers up until that point. Chocolates, yes. Jewelry & Clothing, yes. Gift Cards & Cash, yes. Vacations & Cruises, yes. Flowers, no.

6) My favorite part of Christmas was flying back home to L.A. on Christmas Eve as one of 6-10 people in the entire plane, now ensconced in 1st Class on a 747 because the Flight Crew didn't want to have to walk all over the plane to take care of us. And take care of us they did! Champagne was flowing, hors d'oveurs were served, and boxes of chocolates as a 'Thank You' gift for flying with them on Christmas.

7) I was given a title by a Royal Court as a Thank You for services rendered.
 
8) I taught debutantes how to curtsey in heels for 8 years. I also taught them how to correctly wear a tiara, correctly put on opera length gloves, and how to avoid back lighting when wearing chiffon.

9) I've seen performances of the musical Evita a total of 138 times. Followed by 'Phantom of the Opera' at 87 performances.

10) I had Steve Jobs's private phone number for 11 years.

11) I've had 71 friends and acquaintances pass away from complications of AIDS & HIV since I was 24 years old. Of the 71 I was with 48 of them at the time of their passing. I live with survivors guilt every single day.

12) I walk with a cane because of a combination of Osteo Arthritis and from injuries to my knees that I never had properly attended to when I was younger.

Bonus: Yes, it's true I don't run. If you see me running past you, you'd better run too. Because if whatever I'm running from is chasing me, I only have to be faster than you.

Family

What constitutes a Family?
Is it 2 Parents and 2.5 Children? Is it a Single Parent with a Child or Children? Is it just 2 Adults? Immediate or Extended? Nuclear? Biological or Logical? How do we designate Families?
The dictionary has a basic definition that defines a Family as thus: a social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for. However, if you expand/scroll down there is even a more open definition: a group of people who are generally not blood relations but who share common attitudes, interests, or goals and, frequently, live together. So, do we narrow our field of vision and only accept traditional Families or do we open our eyes and our hearts to embrace all types of Families? What are your guidelines? As found in scriptures? What society decrees? What is your heart telling you?

In the 'Tales of the City' book series, Armistead Maupin's characters often speak of the difference between 'biological' and 'logical' families. With much discussion over the series regarding inclusion, forgiveness, and when love is just love. 'Biological' families are what we are born into, or have inflicted upon us if you prefer. We never have any choices in regards to our 'biological' families, we either adapt or die- so to speak. We change to fit in or we change to become invisible, either giving ourselves up to conformity or hiding our true selves until some point in the future where we'll either 'come out' or go away. With our 'Logical' families it's all about choice. We connect with like minds or open hearts, we find a common ground with which to build a family or a community. If you've gone off to college, how often did you dread going home for the holidays? Was it because home-life was so bad or was it because you really felt more accepted with the friends you gathered around than with people who've known you your entire life? When you moved away from the homestead, beginning your life with jobs and other attachments, how soon did your new life start to shape your world? When going home for visits or to celebrate occasions did you start to compare how much you were challenged by your own family? Was their view of the world just a bit more compact than yours, dictated or colored by events you no longer had a connection to or were impacted by? Were you cringing at comments you had already heard when growing up?

When you began to form your 'Logical' family did you feel like you were letting go of your past? When you're creating a family of your choosing, there's not always a lot of thought involved, you tend to go with your heart most of the time. It's how these people make you feel, how what they think influences you or even reflects upon you. A 'logical' family has a lot of synergy to it for the most part. Susan makes you laugh, Freddie is someone to exercise with, Martin pushes you to think beyond the obvious, Nina can always find a party or make on happen, Julie is the hard worker who pushes you to your goals, David is the one who can make you feel welcome and at home, and John is your goofball with a huge heart. What makes it all work is what you bring to them as well, you all win when that happens. I have such a huge circle of friends & family, some I've known from childhood or high school, some from college or early jobs, people from the different cities I've lived in, co-workers from my adult jobs, friends made through charity work or volunteering, and the good old 'friends of friends'. Some of my dearest friends are friends of the heart, we can go months or even years without anything but the most superficial contact, but when we're together it's like we had only seen each other that morning. We don't need a lot of maintenance to know how much we love each other, we all know that we would drop everything if the other needed us. That's the way with logical families, we need each other because we love each other, it's that simple . . . love is just love.

Sometimes our logical family can break our hearts. With a biological family it's just assumed that "you have to love them" or maybe just tolerate them. I have many friends that haven't spoken to members of their biological families for years, decades even. Declaring that it's just not worth the effort or the aggravation. They feel that can already anticipate what would be said, what actions will be taken, what will remain unspoken. There's no longing in their voices for what was . . . except maybe that it happened in the 1st place. With a logical family member however, sometimes that longing and pain can become unbearable. We remember everything that was said or done that led to the breaks between us and we struggle to find a way to make it right, to heal the wounds, or at the very least to salve the pain. When you break with a member of your logical family it tears at you like nothing else will because this involves someone you brought into your life, someone you chose to be a part of you- your circle- your heart. We'll try to find ways to heal the breach, we'll try harder than anything we've done before because this person is part of the world- the wall we build to protect us from the outsiders that would do us harm, this person is such a part of our heart that their loss affects the very way we live our lives. Our logical families mean so much more to us because we chose them, we created this family, we brought in the people who color our world and give it life. Love is just love . . . and our family is just our family.

So as we begin to gather around tables this Thanksgiving, at the 'kiddie table' or the 'big table', with our biological or logical families. Let us remember one thing . . . Love is Love and Family is Family.

 

A Lesson in Cute.

An Accepted Disney Factiod: Some Disney characters are just cuter than others. After much examination, reflection, and study, we’ve settled on this list of qualities that can take a character from cute-ish to “omg sooo cuuuuute!”

Be made out of clouds.


Have a gimmick.


A little chub never hurt anyone.




Make a brave face.



Be just a tiny bit n-n-nervous.




Have trouble opening doors.


Get in a little trouble sometimes.



Play up your unique features.



Develop an adorable sneeze.


Get really excited about things.



Befriend someone unexpected.




When in doubt, hold a teddy bear.



C'mon . . . you know at least one of these made you smile.
Accept the cuteness!

Touchstone

What's your safe place?

We all have a touchstone, a haven, a safe place, ground zero- if you will. Someplace we can go to when the world loses it's footing, or when we feel that same world is against us. It's that place where we can go to when we need to celebrate a triumph or nurse the real or emotional bruises. It's that place we feel safest, or happiest. Just the thought or the name will instantly calm a rapidly beating heart or quicken the beat of said heart with excitement & desire. For some it's a childhood home, or someplace you visited. For others it's a church or even a library. For some it's someplace you can only get to in your imagination. Sometimes it's just being in a certain someone's arms. We all know where out grounding point is, some of us long for it and some of us have even given up on it. Whether real or imagined, when we are there we know that for a brief moment in time, we're home. We're safe. And if we're lucky, we feel loved.

Mine place is a little different then most, it has a castle, pirates, princesses, talking/singing birds, and the guy in charge is a mouse. This place has been at the center of my dreams, the site of many of my happiest moments, it's been a refuge against anger, hatred, & violence. It's been a home-away-from-home, a goal, a goalpost, a standard, and a place where dreams can come true.
My place is Disneyland.
You have to understand how deep my ties are with this magical place. My earliest memories are of me toddling along holding Cinderella's hand, being held by Mickey Mouse, and being sung to by Snow White. I don't know why I bonded so strongly and so early to a place built on magic & illusions, but I did. Each visit only had me counting the days until I was able to come back again. My Friends were giant Character versions of my favorite movies and shows, they were handsome Princes and beautiful Princesses, or beguiling Boys who never wanted to grow up. There were Parades and Shows, singers and dancers, and at night . . . Oh at night! The sky came alive with Fireworks and Magic! How could you not be captivated by the Music, the Lights, the Make-Believe! This was my home, where I felt safe, where I felt alive, where I felt loved.

Unless you're gay, you probably don't understand the love we as the misfits feel for the Magic of Disney. On the outside we looked like all the other little boys and girls, but on the inside we knew we were different. We didn't think there was anything wrong with us at that point, just that were weren't the same as other kids our age. It's later in life when labels start getting applied, taunts and name calling, bullying and hate either from our own families or from the world around us that we really understood how different we were. And that's when we gravitated to Disney. In every Disney movie the hero or heroine also doesn't quit fit in, whether they're an orphan or lost, a tomboy or the middle child, too young or goofy, something sets them apart from everyone else. But it's that difference that wins out in the end, gives them that triumph, or helps them to find their version of Happily Ever After. We LGBT little boys and girls somehow knew that this lesson applied to us as well, that in the end no matter how perilous the journey we would find our own version of Happily Ever After. It gave us hope, strength, and resolve to find where our own journeys would take us. That we would be accepted and triumph in the end. It's not just a life lesson for LGBT boys and girls, but all boys and girls. That we are all individuals, we all have that 'something' inside of us, that we deserved to be loved, we deserve to be cherished, and we deserve a Happily Ever After.

When I'm at Disneyland I revel in the Magic and the Make-Believe. I smile & wave at the Characters during a Parade, pose with my favorites at the Photo-Ops, watch all the Shows, and find myself the very best spot to watch Fantasmic and the Fireworks. Yes of course, I do have an Annual Pass so it's easy to go in and just spend the day people watching and walking My Park. I believe in creating Everyday Magic, so I'll stock up on little odds & ends that kids would love like Pins & small Stuffies. So when I see a kid not having the best day, or looking like they're about to turn and run away, I make it a point to get down to their level and ask "How's it going?" or something similar to catch their attention. I try to make them laugh or smile, reminding them how lucky they are to be in such a Magical place, and if it seems ok with the parents, give them a little something to make their day. I've had parents & grandparents follow me to say "thank you" or even offer to reimburse me, but the only reason I do what I do is because I've been there too. All it takes is one person to open your eyes to the Magic around you, and you forget your troubles for just one moment, and you let the Magic into your heart.

Yeah, I'm a Disney Kid and proud of it!

Sick, the aftermath.

Why is it that when you're coming out of being sick for a significant chunk of days, you feel more like Rip Van Winkle than anything else. Oh I know the world spins on and on whether your cognizant of the fact or not, but it's the jarring effect on the psyche you get when you find yourselves playing catch up on a global scale.
I get that time is not linear . . . that it's all "Timey-Wimey and Wibbley-Wobbley", I'm enough of a 'Whovian' to get that. It's just so disconcerting to peek your head out of the bedclothes every so often and find that huge gaps of time have gone by without you. You reach out for a chug of water at 6:30am and pull the blankets back over you, but when you reach out to grab a tissue suddenly it's 1:10pm . . . and this goes on for days. you don't really feel yourself dropping out for hours at a time, but lo and behold! You did!
And why do people insist on making you feel guilty about it? I mean really, cut me a little slack. So you get a giggle when I'm still thinking it's Thursday when in fact it's Monday, or when I say I'll call in the morning and you brightly inform me that it is in fact, the morning already. So I haven't looked at my phone or my laptop in a few days . . . I've had better things to do, like spewing mucus or blowing out parts of my brain into a handkerchief. I'm not even up to full speed and all I get from everyone is "Cool! . . . I wish I could spend a couple of days in bed!". No, No you don't. On vacation, curled up with a willing companion, yes! Those would be interludes to enjoy, not when you're sick though, at that point your only thought is "Can I O/D on cough medicine?"
Being sick is not for wussies, that's for sure.

I hate being sick!

It's never fun to feel sick. In fact, of the top things I want to do it's never been on the list, next to the list, in the same room as the list, or even on the same planet of the 'To-Do-List'. It's never been a goal of mine to feel like death warmed over, quite the opposite in fact. I rather be feeling of this world as opposed to the afterlife. When you're sick your energy is non-existent, your appetite sucks, you're achy and painey all over, your nose is runny, your throat is all scratchy, your sinuses are clogged, and your color is all off. There's a reason why people barricade themselves in their bedrooms when all is not right. Mounds of used tissues piling up all around you, the waste basket, the floor. Bottles of this, bags of that, throat lozenges, cough syrup, inhalers, thermometers, jars of things to rub on you,  things to drop in your eyes, and we won't even discuss the word "enema". Who wants to inflict this on the rest of the world? It's hard enough facing yourself in the mirror when you're under the weather, who wants to feel judged by others on top of all that?

I believe the only time I've ever 'enjoyed' (relative term) being sick was back when I was a kid. Back then it was so much more than feeling terrible, it was all about the attention and the love. Special meals of soups & broths, grilled cheese sandwiches & fruit, super sweet mugs of tea (and if you were particularly whiney you knew there would be a shot of something 'medicinal' in there), juices & ginger-ale, and 7-Up if there was tummy trouble. You'd get to stay home and it was all about naps & pillow nests in front of the TV, comic books, and if you were very lucky- someone to read to you until you drifted off to sleep. Love and Comfort just washed over you on those days, someone to ease the tummy troubles, take your temperature, cool your brow, and rub something with menthol on your chest. Whoever that caregiver was, they made it all about you & how you were feeling. Despite the sickness you felt like you were quite possibly the luckiest little boy or girl on the planet.

Now-a-days you're on your own. If the Jewish delicatessen doesn't deliver you're stuck making your own chicken noodle soup, your own grilled cheese, your own tea, and definitely putting a rather large shot of something medicinal just to help you relax. Don't you wish there was a 'Rent-A-Mom' or a 'Rent-A-Granny' who would come in and make everything better? Tidy up the place, make some soup, run to the pharmacy & grocery for you, cool your brow, and just make you feel just a little bit pampered? Now when you're sick everyone gets all "Stay Away From Me", creating a fog of disinfectants and antibacterial sprays aimed at you, dousing themselves with hand-sanitizers & gels, all while apprehensively looking around to see what you've touched or just breathed in the general direction of so they can disinfect/sanitize within an inch of it's life. Warmth, comfort, and compassion has been replaced with "Don't Get Me Sick". Instead of feeling lucky you now feel like one of the loneliest people on the planet.

I hate being sick because it keeps me from doing the things I want to do & it keeps me from the people I wan to be with. I hate being sick because of all the feelings it dredges up and all the memories it brings back.
I want my Mommy.

A Kiss Is Just A Kiss . . .

Dear Spaghetti Kiss (of Lady and the Tramp fame),
We love you. Since the weekend is coming up, we thought it best to tell you how spectacularly endearing we think you are. Please accept our extreme admiration in the form of a chronological retelling of your existence.
You began at the very place for a very special occasion:

You then proceeded with this undeniably irresistible exchange between Tramp and the world’s best restaurant owner:

Flash back to Lady in an award-winning performance of “shy girl behind fence post”:

Then you set the mood…

Once everyone ordered “two spaghetti especiale,” it was time for the lovers to dine:

Cue the soundtrack (and by soundtrack we mean accordion serenade by our two new favorite chefs):


And then comes the most adorable two minutes ever committed to the animation screen (and a great PSA for sharing):

… complete with stars in her eyes:

… and the “will they or won’t they” moment to end all others:

… and the SPAGHETTI KISS we never knew our lives were missing:

And it was a lovely bella notte.

Oh, spaghetti kiss scene. Could you be any more wonderful? You have everything; romance, humor, dogs, an impromptu musical performance, and an old school laundry shot. For a few minutes, you make us sure that our happily ever afters are just one spaghetti dinner away.
Now that we mention it, we think we’ll watch you again in the Bella Notte scene from Lady and the Tramp:

We hope you know how sincere we are when we say, thank you Spaghetti Kiss. You make us feel all warm and fuzzy. We can only keep our fingers crossed that our Date Nights are half as romantic and a third as endearing as you are.
Thank you, Oh My Disney.

In the Spotlight

 Take away the adoring fans, the band, the back up singers, the haute couture costume and what do you have? A sea of eyes looking back at you in silence.
And that's never a good thing.
Eyes demand a lot from you. They look at you in expectation, they can beseech you, and you can see the dare within them. Eyes can look at you in sympathy, even with pity, but those same eyes can glare right at you filled with malice.
And that's without you even saying one word or even singing one note. You hear about the white hot glare of the spotlight, but no one ever warns you about the ice cold emptiness that stops your heart and fills it with dread as all those eyes look at you with anticipation. The christians had a better chance with the lions than you do when facing an audience. At least the lions appreciated your sacrifice.

Glossophobia is the correct term for speech anxiety, or the fear of public speaking. It sounds so soft and silly, but it gives no inclination of the sheer terror it can induce. I've watched the most accomplished and well spoken people reduced to tears at the thought of public speaking. I cringed while watching great men of science and letters stumble and stammer their way through the presentation of a grant proposal. I've covered my eyes when an ill prepared elected official gets nailed to the wall during a press conference all because they didn't know what to expect, or even worse, they didn't care. I've smiled benignly while a celebrity (actor/singer/writer/producer/musician/composer/athlete) mangles their way through an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony, or worse yet, say they didn't prepare anything because they didn't expect to win. Why is it that highly functioning human beings, people who are acknowledged to be at the peak of their game- top of their field- pinnacle of their success, cannot seem to be able to put two words together in a comprehensible pattern without cue-cards or a teleprompter. Even people who's words are their livelihood stumble right out of the starting gate. Not everyone mind you, but a growing number of them just the same.

There are tricks you can use to dispel your fears, some old, some new. Some created with science and testing, others used by vaudevillians and traveling show carnies. Some work, some don't, and others just make it worse.

RICHARD GILMORE: Has anyone ever told you to picture the audience in their underwear?

RORY GILMORE: Yes.
RICHARD GILMORE: Don't do it. I tried it once and had nightmares for weeks. Bulgarians in Speedos.

So, despite all the warnings, the fears, the apprehension, and several missteps you've agreed to jump into the spotlight and step up to the microphone. Will you fear knocking the podium over? Getting feedback from the Mic and piercing your audience's eardrums with the shriek? Fainting? Throwing up? Realizing this was a huge mistake? Or will you swallow your bile and just open your mouth? Sometimes the spotlight can be the most rewarding experience of your life. Whether it's a speech, a question and answer session, therapy, or even just some karaoke after work with some friends, taking that spotlight can change your life. You can only be a 'spotlight virgin' once in your life, after that initial leap it's all downhill from there. You can look back and question your fears, why it was seemingly indomitable, why it raised your blood pressure? You lived through it and more than likely succeeded with flying colors. But it was still about those eyes and faces looking back at you. Did you give them the power over you, or did you stand your ground and achieve your objective?

Sometimes the spotlight can be the doorway to your future, and sometimes it's just a glare.
You choose.

Gifting

Most of us love presents. Especially if they're gift wrapped. We like the look of them, the crisp inviting paper, the shiny bow, the anticipation that builds up before you even begin to tear the wrapping off. Do you just yank the bow off and tear open the paper? Is that the way you show the giver how eager you are to enjoy what's inside? Or are you someone who slowly and methodically unwraps your gift, untying the bow and rolling up the ribbon, unfolding the paper around the gift being very careful not to tear or mar the paper, brushing out the folds so that the paper can find another use someday? Is that because you want to savor the moment and prolong the anticipation, or do you do that solely to drive the giver insane with frustration in how long you're taking? Is the look on the face of the gift giver part of the gift itself or just a byproduct of your happiness and excitement. How many times do you tell yourself "It's the thought that counts" when you get a clunker of a gift, or are you the type of person that asks "Did you keep the receipt?". When it's the absolute right gift does that knowledge make the gift even better? When there's an absolute certainty that no thought whatsoever went into the selection of the gift are you still gracious enough to say "Thank you" or do you toss it right back into their face? When you're the gifter, do you shop for the perfect gift no matter what the cost or do you have a predetermined value that you won't go over? When you get a gift do you feel indebted to the giver until you can reciprocate with an equally valued gift to restore the 'balance'?

Now, let's turn that around and make it personal.
When someone says to you "I love you" do you see that as a gift or as strictly chatter? What about if someone tells you that they're giving you the gift of their love and attention, spending the day with you to shower you with love and affection, or what happens when they say that they are giving you their heart or their trust? Is the emotion or the sentiment that they are attempting to convey a tangible enough gift to register with you? Is it still "The thought that counts" or would you rather have a gift card. What value can you put on love? Is it tangible, can you take it to the bank, will it be accepted as legal tender, would the revocation of that love cause you to be devalued? When a relationship or marriage ends, is it all about the 'spoils of war' or what's 'fair and equitable'? Who's the winner, the lawyers? In today's litigious society are we justified in going for broke, or even winner take all when it comes to matters of the heart? Are we supposed to argue the validity of the contract or the worth of your heart? Does a broken heart generate more cash than a disinterested one? When I was young I believed that true love was worth it's weight in gold, and that a love that's pure was beyond measure. I believed in 'Happily Ever After' (HEA) as a byproduct from the exchanging of hearts & truth. I believed that true loves kiss was the most powerful magic on earth. I saw unrequited love as the greatest tragedy known to man. That 'Romance' was achievable, that 'True Love' was achievable, and 'Love at First Sight' came to one lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time with a pure and honest heart. I believed that love was a gift that not only empowered the person who was on the receiving end but the person who was giving that gift as well.

When did we start looking for the price tag in the game of love, and when exactly did it become a game? When did hearts, flowers, cupid's arrow, romance, and HEA go out of style in favor of Pre-Nups and Performance Contracts? When or how does love affect or achieve the bottom line? In the game of love are we still cherishing our gifts or looking for the return-receipt?
If diamonds are also a boy's best friend, I prefer them blue or canary in color and large in carats.
And if a man is a boy's best friend, I like them with a brain, a bod, and an imagination to keep it interesting.
In love, as in gift giving, it never hurts to apprise the gift giver of your 'wish-list'.

Trust Issues

Today's discussion is a reflection of a rather onerous diatribe between two people that used to be friends. Each had accused the other of being deceitful and of trying to wrangle their mutual friends to take sides against the other one. Both of them accused each other of going behind each of the others back to speak disparaging of the other while confidently saying to each others faces that everything was all right and there were no issues or bones of contention.
Did you ever play 'Risk' as a kid? It was a board game of world domination, creating alliances, invading or threatening other countries on the board while you amassed enough 'power' to take over the world. Remember playing with that certain kid that hated to lose? Where they'd either become such an aggressive ass that no one wanted to play with them, especially if they got frustrated at losing, upon where they would toss the board across the room or sweep it off of the table? That is what this situation was like. Two people who insisted that they were right and the other was wrong, causing havoc amongst friends until ultimately no one wanted to play any more with either of them. Creating such a toxic atmosphere that no one wanted to be around them. In the end they were all alone in their misery as all of their mutual friends decided to ostracize them and refused to deal with either of them. As they stood in the wreckage of their friendships neither one of them would accept responsibility for what happened or even extend an olive branch to the other so that a healing could begin. What they did instead was to bond together against their former friends, tell anyone who would listen how they were the wronged parties and their former friends were unfeeling and superficial A-holes that dumped them for no reason.

What is a rational person supposed to do in a situation such as this? What happens when the friends become lovers, or ex-lovers. What happens when the person you love becomes unhinged emotionally, where everything you do is a slight against them. What happens when being rational no longer becomes a viable option? Worse yet, what happens after the dust clears and they want to be with you again? Are you supposed to give them a clean slate and forget the past. Do you ever really forget after you've said that you forgive them. Is the baggage that they've created and filled get put into storage, out of sight - out of mind? Or is it there taking up space, spilling out of the closet, piled up under the bed, falling over in the garage? Do we ever really trust them again or are we waiting for the inevitable other shoe to drop? Some people say that trust is given freely and without reservation. Others say that trust is earned and once tainted is hard to get back. A few say that you should never trust in anything but Smith & Wesson, and to keep it loaded and ready for the inevitable betrayal. Is trust a commodity to be traded or something to be hoarded?

Who do you trust?
With your life? With your heart? With your livelihood? With your future?
Is trust something that is asked for, or is it just there when needed? Can you give someone your trust when they ask for it or is trust something that has to be generated independently within you before you can share it with another. Does trust imply safety? Does the giving of trust establish a bond? Is the only acceptable form of trust printed on legal tender, "In God We Trust"?
When trust is destroyed, betrayed, or taken away does it lessen the person who gave the trust in the first place? Should we be feeling angry or stupid for being that vulnerable?

There are a handful of people I trust beyond measure in my life. The trust was never 'earned' but I knew the moment it happened that they were worthy of my trust. Some are old friends from childhood, some are family members, and some are more recent friends. With each I can say that I truly love them and would do anything that they asked of me without questioning. When my back is against the wall I know they will stand beside me and I them. These friends would never let me down and have gone out of their way to bring me comfort when I've suffered. I believe that the sign of true friendship is never knowing where you end and they begin. In issues of trust I've never known any waiver on their part or I in return. It's all part of a personality or a truth that we share with each other, that despite rights or wrongs we will always know each other's true heart and the gifts we give each other through or love and friendship.

I hope you have the same kind of people in your life. Not only do they make it richer, they give it meaning. A true & caring friend you can trust with you heart is a friend who will never willingly break it or bruise it. And who wouldn't want someone like that in their life?
Sweet dreams Mouseketeers!