"Dear Mom and Dad, I know I haven't written in a while, I Promise to do better...."

Rinnnnng- "Hello, How are you? I haven't heard from you in a while. Yeah, I'm sorry for not calling, I Promise to call more often"....

"I know I haven't been very nice lately I Promise to do better"...

"Yikes! I have put that much weight on?!?! I Promise to start that diet-tomorrow"...

How many times have we heard those infamous words: "I Promise I'll do that" or "I Promise I'll do that"? It irks me to know end when someone makes me a promise and then never keeps the promise. I would have to take off my shoes and socks, plus yours to even begin counting how many promises are owe to me. The sad part of it-yeah, I'm just as guilty of making a promise and then forgetting it-not intentionally mind you.

I think we all make a promise to someone, just so that we can ease our own conscious, and to make the other person feel a little better and not have them so mad at us. But in all reality, it's really hard to keep a promise that you have made. It's not because you don't want to keep that promise, it's just that we get so involved with our own lives that we sometimes forget what we have said.

As I sit here in our little booth, waiting for God only knows what, because we know we are not going to get any campers soon come rolling down the hill. You see, our park is still closed as well as many other parks around the lake. When we went to Orientation before our first "official" opening dates. We were "promised" that the bigger parks (yes, us), would be only two weeks late in opening and they "promised" to get us up and running asap....then we were "promised" that communication would be much better this year. Well, I'm still waiting on those promises....Are park is not going to open any time soon, and there has been no communication as to when or why there is such a hold up. I guess this what made me start this hub on promises...

I sit back and look at my life with my kids and hubby, and family. I know that I have made promises to at least one of them, and I have forgotten to go through with that promise, and when I finally realized that I went back on my word, I felt more guilty than when I made that promise in the beginning. We are all guilty of doing this. Is it intentional just to ease our own minds? I think so....but not intentional in the sense of the word to hurt the other person.

Let's face the music; You and I both make promises whether to ease our mind, or maybe to get someone off our backs about something, once that promise is made, we then go onto other subjects or things in our lives. Before you know it, that Promise was all but forgotten.

Now don't get me wrong, for I have made promises and have kept them. The one that sticks in my mind the most, is when my dad died, and I made a promise at his bedside that I wouldn't fight with my sisters ever again, no matter what it took. I have thus far upheld that promise to my dad...

The one promise that hurts me the most is the one my youngest daughter made to me a few years back. She made the promise to me that she would never forget to send a card for my birthday, or Mothers Day...she has yet to uphold that promise...So in return I made myself a promise-I will not dwell on it any longer and let it bother me...

another promise I keep is that I never Promise. Instead of using the word "I Promise" I now say that "I make no Promises, but I will try my best"....By saying that, then at least it allows the other person know that I will try my best, but if I can't keep a promise, then I'm not breaking one either. It also keeps my conscious from filling up with guilt.

Sometimes I feel we are forced into making a promise that we know in our hearts we will not be able to keep.  Then it sits heavy on our minds and we ponder and brew about it for a long time.  Then before you know it, you are getting mad, wondering why in the world you were forced into making a promise you know that you cannot or will not keep.  Sometimes I think that a promise can even break up a friendship or put strains on relationships.  So the next time someone is "forcing" you to make a promise you know you may not be able to keep.  Let them know that you make no promise, but you will try to give it your best....Or if  the next time you make a promise to someone, just to satisfy your own conscious, really think about that promise you just made. Realistically, can you or will you be able to keep that promise.