A Virtue That Shapes Relationships

There are loads of virtues possible for humans to possess, and as we all might know, virtues are the core driving force of our character and entire personality. By the way someone acts or behaves, you can easily identify the virtues they possess and lack, and that can help us draw nearer or farther from them depending on how they affect us personally. I've got a fragile heart and tend to get hurt easily, and that has made me on the lookout for particular traits and virtues in anyone before we became too close.

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I'm talking about no other virtue but reliability; this is a very unique virtue that only a handful of people possess in our world today. We have come to relate to a lot of people who can't stand true to their words or be held accountable for what they say because, before you know it, they'll change the topic and let you know they're just humans who are bound to disappoint.

I understand we are truly humans and are imperfect, meaning we can make mistakes or let someone down at one point or another, but regardless of that, if you're someone who possesses the virtues of reliability, then you must have at least built your relationship with me and others on a solid, truthful foundation whereby even if you fail at one point or another, I'll still understand within me, without your explanation, that it's not in your nature to do such.

Over the years, I've had friends and even been in relationships that were built on lies, doubt, and an inability to decipher when they should be trusted with what they say or not, given the fact that such people have a long history of being unreliable, and that can really be disappointing, especially when it's coming from someone who's supposed to be close to you like the vine in your neck.

A few years ago, I was speaking with a close friend about my plight. He was moderately rich, and he made his wealth from sport betting and other forms of betting, so when I approached him about my situation, he told me he just booked a game in which he's expected to make around 1.2 million naira, and he said he'll lend me the 50 thousand naira I need if he wins. He even sent me a photo of the game booklet so I could also keep track of the games

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By the time the last game was played and it became obvious that he had won, I called my mom to let the doctor go ahead with the scan my bedridden brother was supposed to undergo, stating that I'd be coming along with the money. After that, I called my friend, and he said I should come later that evening for the cash.

Things fell apart when I got to his place, and I realized he had thrown a big party to celebrate his good luck of winning such a huge amount, but since I'm not in the mood for partying, I simply dragged him to a quiet place and inquired about the money he promised. He checked his bank app to send the money, only to realize he had spent over 1.1 million on the party, and given the fact that he had other things he wanted to do, he could only borrow me 5 thousand naira. I was so disappointed, and who knows, maybe the supposed money spent on the party wasn't even up to that, and he only did that to put me off, because I see no reason why someone would spend 95% of their earnings to celebrate.

I don't think anything can be more painful than having confidence in someone and then having them disappoint you. It was painful; I don't even have the confidence to go to the hospital after that, and I simply wait till the next day to visit the bank to take a loan with a high interest rate, which I wouldn't have taken if he was reliable and stayed true to his word.

So in conclusion, if someone possesses the reliability virtues, then such a person can be easily forgiven by me even if they have some lapses in one aspect or another in the near future. Also, being reliable goes beyond just staying true to your word alone; it also cuts across being trustworthy to not do anything silly or bad.

That's about all on my list of one virtue I can easily forgive, and the article was inspired by the Hive Learner Community Features prompt.

Thanks for your time, have a blessed week ahead.