I’ve always been far too quick to trust people and take them at their word. This was a huge concern to my parents as I was growing up (in case I was ever taken advantage of) others would say it was one of my good qualities, allowing everyone the benefit of the doubt. Seeing the good in people and offering people a chance to get back on their feet. It feels good and I love helping people, but every once in a while you get it thrown back in your face with such gusto you feel you will never trust again.

That’s exactly what came to pass this week. On Saturday, just before my husband and I went to the wedding, I popped in on a tenant that I rent an apartment to. This was a newly decorated apartment (due to the previous tenants being smokers, even though it was a non-smoking apartment) I was very sure this time to tell everyone who came to view it that it was non-smoking and there were to be no exceptions. So I was delighted to find this wouldn’t be a problem with this tenant, and that he was so pleased to be living in such a beautiful place, as he had been living with other people who were so messy and never cleaned up after themselves and the places were run down and dirty. I was really pleased to offer him the place to get away from all that.

Imagine my horror when I entered the apartment to find the place trashed. A broken chair, in pieces on the floor. Food strewn across the new carpets, alcohol bottles and cans lying around the floor and worst of all, many cigarette stains over my cream carpets and ash trays everywhere, full of cigarette butts. It looked like a squatters den. He’d only been there a month!

I could kick myself for having been taken in like that, Was I so naive to think he wouldn’t do a thing like that? Was I stupid to trust him? And will I trust another tenant?

I know we have all trusted someone before only to be let down, but how many chance do you give someone? Do you find it easy to trust others again? Or are you more weary the next time?