Love. Trust. Respect. Those are three important traits to possess when dealing with relationships of any kind. If you want to have a long lasting friendship/relationship, have those three. Not having one could lead to losing all of them down the road. Without love, there is no trust of respect. Without trust, there is no love or respect. Without respect, there is no love or trust. All three are connected and back each other up. All are equally important.

Last week, I was in the library and one of my best friends comes up and asks if I wanted to walk with her to Student Life so she could get something squared away. She also wanted to tell me why she hadn't been in school that week, and I was curious about that too. She told me that she broke up with her boyfriend. She started to cry, but not just because of the fact they broke up; it was also due to why they broke up. Her boyfriend cheated on her. (This is actually more serious than it sounds. The actions that resulted in the cheating involve vulgarity and inappropriateness, so I will not speak of them.)

They have been together for five years, and then that happened. She was upset, mad, angry, and really heartbroken. She couldn't sleep, ate only two to three meals that week, and couldn't concentrate on her schoolwork. I felt really bad and sorry for her, and we talked for over an hour outside in the wind when it felt chilly. I mostly listened, but I offered my opinions/advice/comments where appropriate and needed. I also saw her three times this past week, and I did everything I could to help her cope with what she's feeling. At the moment, she's definitely doing better.

She told me that she could not tell anyone the details surrounding the breakup except for a few people, me being one of them. A couple of people that we know passed by us while she was in tears, and she told them about the breakup, but that was it. She told me everything, because she could trust me. I was non-judgmental, and I do my best to be that way toward anyone. She knew I respect the situation and her current state of mind that I can try to understand. She also knows that I give love to anyone who needs it, no matter how much or how little. By possessing all three qualities, she knows I am someone she can look up to when something comes up in life, and she is the same way for me. This friendship will go so far.

In her relationship, she lost her boyfriend's trust, which lead to his disrespect, and love wasn't really there. All three traits are connected. When one is lost, all are lost with it. One cannot exist without the other. All three will bring stability in life. The loss of one leads to a road of chaos.