Trust

R-E-S-P-E-C-T!  It is not just a great song that we all love to sing.  It is the cornerstone of any relationship and when I say relationship I am not just referring to the romantic kind.  Within every parent-child, husband-wife, employer-employee, friend-friend, doctor- patient relationship there must be respect.  You have to respect the wisdom of a parent to care for the child; the husband and wife to look out for the best interest of one another; the employer to provide for the employee and the employee to work hard for the employer; the friend to be there for one another through thick and thin; the doctor to provide appropriate care to the patient and the patient to be honest with the doctor. 

Within the confines of a marriage one seeks loyalty, honesty, love, trust and security.  In the parent-child relationship, the child depends on the parent to provide for its needs, offer advice when needed, teach daily living skills and encourage the exploration of his/ her talents.  In the employer-employee relationship there must be trust on both parts, there is a responsibility to one another to provide - the employer to provide fair compensation and benefits and the employee to provide fair work for the compensation, as well as a trust to keep business matters confidential.  In the doctor-patient relationship there is a trust by the patient in the doctor's ability to provide the most appropriate care and by the doctor that the patient is being honest about their health history and symptoms.  Without this, things can go awry. 

As a single women, I have been asked by many people what is it that I am looking for in a man.  The answer is quite simple - RESPECT!  It is the sinlge most important quality to have in any relationship.  As long as there is respect, loyalty, honesty, security and trust is always present.  In order to cheat on someone, you have to lose respect for that person.  In order to lie or gossip about another person, you can not have respect for him/ her.  In order to steal from an employer, you must not have respect for them.  If a doctor performs an unnecessary procedure or fails to test a patient for a possible condition symptoms point to, then the doctor does not respect the patient.  If a parent fails to care for a child or puts their wants above the needs of their child, there is no respect for the child and if a child speaks rudely to a parent, the child is lacking in respect for the parent. 

If we make it a priority in our life to respect others and respect ourselves, life will be much more pleasant and fulfilling for all.