You cannot have a relationship with someone you can't trust.

"You cannot have a relationship with someone you can't trust." These words, spoken by Sheri L. Dew, hold within them a profound truth that reverberates through the ages. Trust—that sacred bond that binds the hearts of men and women, the foundation of all relationships—cannot be built on the shifting sands of doubt or deception. To be without trust is to walk in the shadows of uncertainty, where every word and action is questioned, and every gesture is suspect. In the ancient world, trust was the lifeblood of both personal bonds and the strength of entire civilizations. Without it, not only do relationships crumble, but the very fabric of society begins to unravel.

Consider the story of King David and Jonathan in the Bible, a tale that has echoed through the centuries as a testament to the power of trust between two souls. Their bond, forged in the fires of battle and solidified in the quiet moments of shared confidences, was built on a foundation of mutual respect and unwavering loyalty. David knew that he could trust Jonathan, just as Jonathan knew he could trust David. It was their trust that allowed them to face the darkest challenges of their lives and emerge stronger. Without it, their relationship would have crumbled, and the struggles of their time might have ended differently. Their story teaches us that, without trust, no relationship can endure. Trust is the cornerstone upon which all lasting connections are built.

In the great Greek epics, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey, we see similar examples of trust forming the bedrock of alliances and friendships. Achilles and Patroclus, for example, were bound by a deep, unbreakable trust that transcended the battlefield. Their relationship was more than mere camaraderie; it was a bond of profound loyalty. When Patroclus fell, Achilles' grief was not merely for the loss of a comrade, but for the loss of someone whom he had trusted with his very life. This tale, like many others from ancient texts, speaks to the truth that without trust, no relationship—whether between friends, lovers, or even allies—can withstand the test of time.

But what of our own lives? How many of us have experienced the sting of betrayal, the tearing of trust that once bound us to another? In our personal relationships, we too understand that trust is a fragile thing, easily broken and not so easily repaired. When trust is shattered, the relationship becomes hollow, for without it, there is nothing to hold the connection together. The safety and intimacy that should exist between two souls are replaced by suspicion, and the love once shared becomes a mere shadow of what it was. Sheri L. Dew’s words remind us that, without trust, we cannot truly connect with another. Our bonds will be weak, our actions guarded, and our words meaningless.

Even in the political and social realms, the importance of trust cannot be overstated. Look to the Roman Empire, where alliances between leaders were often forged and broken based on trust. When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, he did not just make a political move; he made a statement about the trust he had—or rather, the lack of trust he had in the existing system. The betrayal of the Roman Senate, who once trusted Caesar as one of their own, led to the collapse of the old order. Without trust, the empire could not hold together, and its eventual fall was sealed by the very betrayal that broke the relationships upon which it was built.

Thus, we are left with a lesson that spans both the personal and the societal: trust is the foundation upon which all relationships are built. Whether it is between lovers, friends, rulers, or citizens, without it, there can be no true connection. Sheri L. Dew speaks a truth as old as time itself: that without trust, relationships wither like flowers in the desert. The question we must ask ourselves, then, is this: how do we nurture and protect the trust we share with others? How do we ensure that our bonds remain strong and unbroken?

The answer lies in our actions—in our willingness to be vulnerable, to be honest, and to show up for those we care about. To build trust is to live with integrity, to be consistent in our words and deeds, and to act with the understanding that every choice we make either strengthens or weakens the bonds we share with others. Let us take this wisdom into our lives, and in every relationship we form, let us build with trust as our foundation, knowing that the strength of our connections lies in the depth of the trust we cultivate. And when trust is broken, let us have the courage to seek healing, for only through the restoration of trust can any relationship rise again.