In life you will certainly meet people from all walks of life, possibly from ever corner of the earth. My grandmother would say “it takes all kinds.” As we move through life some of these people will remain with us as we grow. Others will become memories, stories we will tell of times past. The difficult part is when someone has genuinely exposed themselves as unreliable, selfish, and manipulative but you want to believe them to different. You have hope for them, hope that they will understand how their actions impact others. The truth is Maya Angelou understood this best “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

I believe, but it hurts no less. I hope, but I can’t change. I will listen, but I no longer hear the excuses.