An Invite to the Table

It’s been an interesting, but not pleasant year. A year that has taught me many lessons, that has exposed the duplicity of many and the allegiance of a few. I write this, not from the position of a victim, far from it, but as someone more confident in the way forward, armed with a better understanding of those I can rely on.

The details are unimportant, but the teaching is the prize.

I have missed the counsel of my mate Bumper. He could be relied upon to ventilate the situation as it was. He could be trusted to tell me if I was wrong and not mince his words. I have needed that these last few months, his passing has been made that much more difficult because of it.

No man is perfect, and each carries the ability to deceive another, but in life, trust is a delicate thread that weaves individuals together, creating intricate relationships. To trust is to lay bare your vulnerabilities, to expose your thoughts, hopes, and fears. But what happens when those you believed would stand by you in the storm turn away, leaving you to weather the tempest alone?

Betrayal is a difficult pill to swallow. It sticks in the craw, a constant reminder of the falseness. However, the realization that your circle of confidants is smaller than anticipated is a sobering awakening. It’s a journey through a hall of mirrors where reflections become distorted, and the faces of friends blur with those of foes. Yet, amidst this lies a silver lining, a hidden strength that emerges from the knowing.

A smaller circle, though it may seem like a retreat, is in fact, a fortification. It’s a gathering of the few who have proven their mettle when the skies darkened. These are the ones upon who you can lean without fear of collapse. They are the select few whose actions have spoken louder than the discord of hollow allegiances.

This distilled fellowship is a place of strength. It signifies a higher standard, a more demanding vetting of those allowed to sit at your table. Quality trumps quantity in the realm of trust. To have a handful of true allies is to possess a safeguard against the fickleness of fair-weather companions.

So, let us not lament the smallness of our respective circles, but rather celebrate their strength, for within these intimate enclaves lies a resilience that is forged in the fires of trial and tribulation. They are a testament to the enduring power of genuine connections, a reminder that, in the arithmetic of trust, less can indeed be more.

In the end, the measure of our circle is not taken by its radius or circumference, but by the steadfastness of the hearts that reside within it. And that, dear reader, is a measure beyond compare.