This relationship is going to be built on trust.

Hear the words of Marla Maples, spoken with simplicity yet charged with eternal truth: “This relationship is going to be built on trust.” At first, they seem but ordinary words of a promise between two souls. Yet when we gaze deeper, we see the foundation of all human bonds, whether of love, friendship, or governance. For no structure, however mighty, can endure without its cornerstone; and in human life, that cornerstone is not wealth, not beauty, not power—it is trust.

The ancients understood this well. They built temples upon stone and empires upon loyalty. The oath sworn by warriors, the covenant between rulers and people, the vow between lovers—all rested upon faith that each would keep their word. Without it, temples collapse, empires fall, and hearts break. To say that a relationship is “built on trust” is to declare that it shall have a foundation more enduring than desire, more resilient than circumstance. It is to proclaim that even when storms come, the bond will not break, for it rests upon something invisible yet unshakable.

Consider the story of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome. Surrounded by intrigue, war, and betrayal, he often wrote to himself in his Meditations that he must be worthy of the trust of those who served him, and careful in whom he placed his own trust. His reign endured not by cruelty but by integrity, and he was remembered as the philosopher-king because his rule was built upon honesty and justice. Where tyrants ruled by fear, he sought to build by trust, and though his empire eventually crumbled, his legacy of wisdom endures even now.

In love, too, history bears witness. Think of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning, poets whose marriage was founded upon faith in one another’s hearts. Against her father’s disapproval, Elizabeth entrusted Robert with her life and her fragile health, and in turn, he cherished her as a partner and equal. Their relationship produced some of the most moving poetry in the English tongue, because it was nourished not by convenience but by trust. Without that foundation, their words would have been hollow; with it, they became immortal.

But let us not deceive ourselves: trust is not easily built, nor lightly kept. It is forged slowly, through truth-telling, loyalty, and the keeping of promises. It is destroyed quickly by deceit, betrayal, or neglect. To declare, as Maples did, that a relationship will be built on trust, is to take up a great responsibility—to guard the bond as a sacred fire that must not be allowed to go out. For once extinguished, it is hard to rekindle.

The lesson for us, then, is clear. In your relationships—whether in family, in love, in friendship, or in work—make trust your cornerstone. Speak truth even when it costs you. Keep your word even when it is difficult. Listen with honesty, act with integrity, and guard the confidences placed in you. Do not betray for gain, for the treasure of trust is worth more than gold. Build patiently, as one lays stone upon stone, until the foundation is firm.

Therefore, remember: “This relationship is going to be built on trust.” Take these words as a vow for your own life. Build not only relationships but entire communities on this sacred bond. For where trust is, love flourishes, friendship endures, and nations stand firm. And where trust is broken, even the strongest walls crumble into dust. Let your life be such that others may say of you: “Here is one I can trust.” Then your relationships, like temples built on rock, will stand through all the storms of time.