It's funny, but I've always had one strange principle: if I promised something to God, even as a joke, then I'll try to keep that word to the last. I don't know where it came from. Maybe from childhood, maybe from Catholic school. But oaths to people... That's more complicated.

It's fashionable to say now that oaths are a relic of the past, that no one owes anything to anyone, that everything changes, people change, and life is unpredictable. And in some ways I even agree: holding on to a promise that has long ceased to be sincere is stupid. But then why promise anything at all? Why can't you just say honestly, "Listen, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but today I want to be with you"? Isn't there more truth in that than in lofty words about eternity?

But here's a paradox. When a person believes in God, his oath is not just words. It is a promise that is given not only to another person, but also to someone above us. It is a kind of responsibility to someone who sees right through us. But what if a person doesn't believe? Then the oath is just a sound, air that can be exhaled and forgotten?

Perhaps it is not only a matter of faith, but also of being honest with yourself. When a man says, "I will always be there," but disappears a month later, it is not because he is an atheist. It is because he either lied to himself or did not attach any importance to the words. But if he says, "I will try," there is more sincerity in that. And here, you know, it seems to me that the question is not whether he is a believer or not. The question is how much he respects himself and those to whom he says these words.

So if you suddenly promise someone to be there, think - are you really ready to keep your word? Or are you just saying it beautifully because it's easier? It seems to me that a real man is not the one who makes vows left and right, but the one who understands the value of his words. Even if he doesn't promise anything, but does it - it's worth a thousand vows.

So let's agree. Don't make vows if you're not sure that you can keep them. Better tell the truth, even if it's not so beautiful. It seems to me that this is much more valuable. After all, faith is not always about religion. Sometimes faith is just about the fact that words should mean something.

Lana Banana