Secrets

In my family, I have the reputation of being "the vault" because I can keep secrets. Sometimes this is a good thing. I get to know birthday and Christmas presents for people and can then enjoy the anticipation of seeing the loved one's face when he or she is eventually surprised. That's always fun.

Other times, it feels like a burden. Recently I have been told several things that I can't tell anyone. Things that I wish the secret-originator would share earlier rather than later to lessen the hurt of others when they find out. True, they deserve to let others know when they feel ready to share the information (and I'm not going to breech that confidence)... but those are the times when I truly feel caught in the middle... in a very awkard middle. :-(

On the other hand, there are secrets I don't want to share with the whole world either. Secrets that, in the past, I've discussed with Bob and nobody else and I'm glad they aren't "out there" for the world.

Just out of curiousity, I looked up "secret" on www.dictionary.com. The definitions that make me smile include: "Dependably discreet" (which I feel I am); "Not expressed; inward" (which is why Bob knows many things I won't share with others); "Beyond ordinary understanding" (which is how I feel about teaching middle school and why I don't always share my day's experiences with non-teachers); and "Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a grave threat to national security" (which describes none of MY secrets... good thing, otherwise I'd have to kill you --- haha).