Promise!

I overheard a conversation yesterday between a mother and her young daughter. At this time of year, such conversations are frequently held between parents and children. This one like so many others was about Christmas and what the child wanted to find on Christmas Day. Then the conversation took a twist and the child made her mother promise at least three times that I could hear.

I walked on thinking why so many times was a promise asked for. I remembered conversations with my own father where either he or I would promise to do something. Once the word promise had been used on either side of the conversation the conversation came to an end because both of us knew that a promise had been made and a promise would be kept.

A lesson learned very early in life was simply this, do not make a promise that you have no intentions of keeping or that you will never be able to keep Consider well before speaking.

A person quick to promise can so often be a person quick to forget.

There is a wonderful and true tale that happened during the time of slavery. A slave and his master had grown to respect one another to such an extent that the master allowed the slave a certain amount of freedom to go and work where and for whomever he desired on the strength of a promise between the two that the slave would continue to pay for his freedom out of his earnings and the master would give him the freedom to earn. 

 The slave had heard that the wages that could be earned in the next state were higher than where he lived moved with his note of contract to his master and began to work. During the time of repayment, the proclamation of Emancipation was brought into law and the slave was freed from any obligations to his master, he still owed a substantial debt, that no longer had to be repaid.

Nevertheless, the now ex-slave walked the long distance back to where he had previously lived and worked and placed into the hands of the master the outstanding balance of the promise.

The slave said that he knew he did not have to pay this debt but that he would never fully enjoy his freedom until he had fulfilled his promise.

There is much talk of promises and fulfilment of such at this time not least among politicians. it also seems that many promises founded on lies were made.  It is far to easy to promise the earth and later turn one's back on the promise made. 

A promise made should be a promise kept no matter whom or when. There can be no trust if we cannot rely on a promise.

Have a marvellous day.