"Promises"

This weekend I finally fulfilled a promise I had made to my 8 year old daughter.  I cannot begin to tell you the sense of relief I feel.  Back in February I had promised her I would take her and a friend to an indoor water park for her 8th birthday.  Due to unforeseen circumstances we weren't able to go.  I was reminded periodically about my promise.  I always responded with another promise that I will keep my promise.  Well this weekend I was finally able to keep my word and fulfill it.  It is amazing how mature and 8 year old can be.  After our wonderful day, she thanked me and said "Now Mom you don't have to worry any more about keeping your promise.  It is behind you and we can move on."   She was right. This experience led to a wonderful discussion between my daughters and I about "Promises".

According to Webster's Dictionary a "promise is an agreement to do or not to do something: a vow."  We have all had promises broken in our lives.  We all know the sense of disappointment we feel.  We all have made promises and both kept them as well as broke them.  So how do we make sure that we keep our promises.  Bottom line we just do.  When we commit to something we stick with it and follow through.  We make sure we are a man/woman of our word.  We don't make promises we can't keep.  I cannot begin to tell you how much I  value and respect  a person who keeps their word.  Be honest.  Don't tell someone something just to make them happy, it only hurts in the long run.

My daughters and I went over my promise.  We talked openly about why it took so long  to happen, it was an expensive day,  as well as how it made them feel when I kept it.  We also talked about had I not kept my promise,  how would they have felt.  I made sure they fully understood the importance of keeping their word and when you do what the results are.

This experience reminded of a promise never kept by my grandmother.  She had made a certain promise to both my sister and I for our 16th birthday, that she would take us on a trip just the three of us.  It never happened.  I never forgot.   I wasn't angry with her, just disappointed.  So in a way I benefited from her broken promise, I am very careful as to what I promise my children.  Thankfully there are a  lot of other phrases that can be used that don't command the same commitment as the words "I promise".

They are:  maybe, we'll see, we might, hopefully, no guarantees, I'll try, possibly, eventually.

These are words/phrases I would impart when I am not a 100% sure I can keep a promise.  I'm very selective when I use the phrase "I promise" because I know what is expected of me and I only promise something if I know I can keep it.    So the next time you make a promise, think long and hard, because the person you are promising  is counting on you 100% to follow through and if you are not sure then say "We'll see."

"Losers make promises they often break.  Winners make commitments they always keep."  ~Denis Waitley