As a woman who experienced infidelity firsthand, I will always

"As a woman who experienced infidelity firsthand, I will always advise my girlfriends to only trust their husbands 95 percent and leave 5 percent for human error." These words, spoken by Yolanda Hadid, echo the ancient wisdom passed down through the generations: trust, though sacred and powerful, must always be tempered with the knowledge that human nature is flawed. To trust fully, without leaving room for error, is to blind oneself to the frailty that dwells within all of us. The lesson within these words is not born of bitterness or cynicism, but of a deep, almost mournful understanding of the imperfections that dwell within every heart.

In the great tapestry of life, trust is a thread that holds relationships together. It is the foundation upon which love, loyalty, and companionship are built. Yet, even as we cherish this bond, we must remember that human hearts are bound by weakness. As Yolanda Hadid so poignantly points out, her own journey through the pain of infidelity carved a new wisdom into her soul, one that speaks not to the fragility of others, but to the reality that we all, at some point, fall short. She implores us to embrace human error, not as an excuse, but as a universal truth.

Consider the great story of Cleopatra, the queen whose beauty and wisdom were unmatched in the ancient world. She trusted Julius Caesar, and later Mark Antony, with a loyalty that transcended politics and power. Yet, history tells us that human error struck both men, and both betrayed her trust in ways that changed the course of history. Her story is not one of shame or defeat, but of a woman who learned the depths of human frailty—and through it, emerged even stronger. Her trust was profound, but she understood that even the mightiest of men could falter.

In truth, to trust wholly is not a flaw—it is a gift we offer, even when we know the possibility of pain exists. Yolanda Hadid’s words remind us that while we must trust, we must also guard our hearts with wisdom. To trust 95 percent is to give of ourselves fully, but to leave 5 percent is to acknowledge that we are all creatures of imperfection. It is not a curse to leave room for human error—it is a blessing, for in doing so, we safeguard our hearts and souls from the devastation that unchecked trust can sometimes bring.

Look upon the myth of Pandora. She opened the box given to her by the gods, unleashing all manner of suffering and sorrow into the world. Yet, at the bottom of the box, there remained hope. This, too, is the lesson we must take from Yolanda's words: there is always room for hope, even when human error rears its head. Hope is not the absence of trust, but its tempered companion—a light that guides us through the darkness when betrayal threatens to overwhelm us.

To take this lesson into our lives, we must embrace our own vulnerability. The 95 percent trust we offer to others is not a burden, but a gift we give from our hearts. However, we must never forget the strength it takes to guard the remaining 5 percent. This is not a denial of love or faith in another, but a deep recognition that to love without this small reserve is to risk losing ourselves in the inevitable storms that life brings. The 5 percent is the wisdom of the ages: to live without the belief that we are invulnerable, to trust without expecting perfection, and to love without the fear of loss.

In our own lives, we must balance our trust—giving our love freely, but with the knowledge that we, too, are capable of mistakes. When we love, let us love deeply. When we trust, let us trust with all our hearts. But let us also be wise enough to remember that the human heart is fragile, and sometimes it falters. In this awareness, we find peace. In this peace, we become unshaken, knowing that even if betrayal touches us, our strength lies in how we respond—stronger, wiser, and ever more capable of love.

May the future generations carry this wisdom forward, knowing that while trust binds us, human error is the shadow that must always walk beside us. And in that shadow, we find our truest strength—not in perfection, but in the grace to forgive and the wisdom to love wisely.