Scratch a liar, find a thief

One of traits I despise the most is that of a liar. It's just so unpleasant, mean and down right hurtful. I think the only thing I hate more than lying is the art of thieving. Yes I know they're both horrible personality traits to have but I think thievery  gets me the most. Now I'm not talking about petty thefts (although those are still bad) I'm talking about someone taking something that you will never get back, didn't belong to them, had to lie in order to get  sneaking around, thief in the night type of stealing. 

When I facilitated substance abuse groups I would have each person go around and talk about the worse thing they ever stole. Some  would say cars, tvs, cell phones, money etc etc. I would ask them in this task to dig deeper and think about other things they may have stolen. I always received the response "what else is there?"

Of course there was something else. It's something that can never be replaced. Trust, peace of mind, security, love, confidence, these are all things that are worth more than gold. But just like gold they all can be stolen. 

When you take something that doesn't belong to you, it becomes a part of your being. Not the object or the emotion itself but the characteristics of a thief have now become your headshot. People look at you differently. Speak to you differently (if they even speak at all) or they just stop dealing with you all together. You have now become the person no one wants to associate with. And if you have any moral fiber in your being you can feel it without anyone saying a word. I've always felt that when you do something you know instinctively is wrong you do anything to hide or cover it up. The shame is so deep you can't bring it into light. But that's ok because eventually everything , no matter good or bad shines though. 

So as I take today and reflect on the thievery I've witnessed in the last couple of days I pose this question. How long do you think you can live in the darkness?