Love the criminal. Hate the crime.

Let's start out by stating the obvious: shit happens. We all like to think that life is a bunch of rainbows and lollipops but sometimes things get rough. Things will not go the way we'd like them to. Promises will get broken. People will disappoint you. Few things in this life are guaranteed, but make sure you look out for that one...

At a certain point, we come to expect so much from each other. It's the pitfall of relationships. I'm not just talking about romantic relationships, but relationships in general - between people. We begin to trust, admire and love, and somewhere along the line we place people on this pedestal of invicibility. We even become naive enough to think they'll never come down. Of course this isn't to say people don't belong there. We come into each others' lives for a reason, and everything fits together as part of some larger plan. Something we may not even be able to see at the time, but all the while still just as satisfied as if we knew the whole story. Let's take Ray Lewis for example (there's a bigger point here...this isn't a blog about keeping #52 in Baltimore). This man has literally shed blood, sweat and tears since coming to the Ravens back in'96. He's taken us to the playoffs several times, a Superbowl win once, and has become the epicenter of a perennial defensive threat in the NFL. Now he's on the brink of becoming an unrestricted free agent. Let's not get it twisted - Ray made a name for himself in Baltimore. But when he starts considering maxing out what's left in his career - which may or may not be with Baltimore - people start getting antsy. I can't lie...I'd be disappointed if Ray left. Wouldn't even hide it. But I wouldn't hate Ray. I'd hate the fact that he isn't here. I'd hate that he retires wearing a color other than purple. But that wouldn't change what he did for this city.

So onto my point. We reserve these very few spaces in our heart for very special people. We never want to believe that these are the people that will let us down. They'll never forget to put gas in the car. Never drink all the orange juice. They'll always be on time. Always be a phone call away. Always be a shoulder to cry on...and will never make us cry. But the truth of the matter is: they might. And what happens if they do? I've learned you don't hate them for who they are, but for what they did...because you told yourself they wouldn't. Moreover because you don't hate them at all. I'm not saying don't set these expectations of someone. It's good to dream, and you can always make a better story in your heart than the one you're living. But once you get to that level the bar is always high, and the price is always steep.

Sure, love is a strong word...but sometimes it's not strong enough.