RESPECT

Respect - what does it mean? My best friend just told me that her respect for me has gone down the tubes based on an indiscretion I had. I did not wait for marriage, enough said. This has sent me into a terrible downward tailspin. It's a terribly upsetting thing. I just wonder what all she considers 'respect'.

Thesaurus.com says some synonyms for respect are:

• admiration
• appreciation
• attention
• consideration
• courtesy
• dignity
• value

I wonder if trust fits in there somewhere.

originally after I heard her say this, I thought she just hated me. She said she didn't hate me, just didn't respect me. I'm just so completely confused over this. Apparently she doesn't admire, appreciate, value me, want to give me any attention, courtesy, or dignity, but at the same time she doesn't hate me. What is that all about? Now, my birthday is Friday and she called the other day picking out my present. Please tell me why you get someone you don't care for very much anymore a present. I'm wondering if I should tell her to save her money and take it back and leave me alone. Perhaps I'm just taking this way too hard, because I don't actually feel like our relationship has changed, but I am very cautious around her now, like I have to walk on eggshells. She's my best friend and I just shared a very personal secret with her that I don't wish to share with my family. She is my age and we are close and I feel she should be supportive, or at least keep an open mind. No, she just shuts me down and makes me feel like a terrible person, no not even a person. Maybe I shouldn't have told her, but why bother having a best friend if you can't tell them the bad stuff as well as the good. It's just driving me nutz. I know she comes from a strict family and they would be very hard on her if she was in this position, but damn, don't dehumanize me over my decisions.
Melissa