Bratty Girl

What is a promise of love? And how do you keep it?

I have been pondering over this question for a few weeks now, but have not been able to come to a proper conclusion. And it is nagging at the back of my head, refusing to let up.

A promise of love is, in its very essence, an oxymoron. It is a lie - the biggest, most vicious lie one could ever tell.

"I'll always love you...".
"I'll never leave you..."
"You'll always be the only one that I love..."

All the things we whisper and share when we are in our relationships, all the promises that we make, hold true only while we are in love. As we fall helplessly into love, we, too, fall helplessly out of it. It is a feeling beyond our control. These promises are beautiful, but the moment the love dies, they shatter into a thousand glass shards. Hurting. Wounding. Killing.

And no matter how hard we might want to keep them, they now count for naught. In fact, keeping a promise of love that has died is an even greater sin.

Now, how do you stop yourself from making promises when you're in love? I don't know either.

So, if someone makes you a promise, listen and smile, for they have the power to make you happy and glow with warmth.

But always remember:

One of the most dangerous things you can ask for when it comes to love is a warranty card.

Make only the promises you can keep.

Chinese singer Faye Wong sings in one of her ethereal laments: