Don't you trust me?

My dog Kip, who has been my family for nine years now, trusts me totally. He doesn't react at all if my hand appears near the food he is devouring, sleeps deeply next to me for hours on end and will even permit me to hold him on my lap like a baby while I scratch his belly . . . if that isn't trust, what is? I also trust Kip--specifically, I trust that any time I am careless enough to leave out a Starbucks cup with coffee in it, Kip will find it, knock it over and lap up the coffee from the floor. I also trust that Kip will run through any open gate because he cannot wait to explore the world on the other side of it. One of the many things I love about Kip is this bond of trust that we have forged from living together for so many years.

I have been thinking about trust often lately, while embarking on my first serious romantic relationship since the one that ended early last year. In that encounter, my heart was treated carelessly, both by me and by him, until my companion-turned friend, who had sworn he wanted to be my friend always, decided it was easier to simply stop communicating with me with no notice whatsoever. For obvious reasons, this was an unpleasant experience (understatement of the year) that left me doubting many things, including my own judgment.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this new relationship has been one of quick decisions and whirlwind intensity and soulful interaction revealing that he has already--in this short period of time--figured out a good number of the things that make me tick. This leaves me both blissfully happy and extremely nervous. While I cannot block out the tiny voice inside me that squeaks out a constant and plaintive refrain of, "Be careful!," I am seriously opposed to permitting last year's experience to risk or ruin what could be a beautiful connection now and, perhaps, for a long time, with a great person.

So, while I summon the courage to pursue the new life I want from a career perspective, I am also enlisting that courage to keep my mind and heart open to the possibility of a new love. As much as I want to rise to this task, it is one covered by the proverbial "more easily said than done." If the Wise Readership of This Blog has any words of support or optimism, they are very welcome here.