Trust, but Verify

President Ronald Reagan, among his many famous quips, once said about why oversight was needed with treaties, "Trust, but verify." You can trust your treaty partners well enough while still independently making sure everything's on the level.

I think of that every Saturday. I typically take me Mom to the 4 o'clock Mass at our Church. Me brother Phil, who oversees her finances (and is, I assure you, the model of trustworthy) gives me her donation envelope for the usual collection. 

When the time for collection comes around, I take the envelopes, hers and mine, from my pocket and give hers to her, so that she can place it in the basket and get the sense of fulfillment in helping the Church. But she always, always takes it from me and opens it immediately, to see that the money is there. She does this without fail, even to the point occasionally of taking the bill out, checking it over, and placing it back in the envelope.

I find it funny, in a cutesy way. She trusts Phil with everything and is not comfortable without his approval of things. But she has to check that envelope. 

Trust but verify. I don't mean that to reflect poorly towards anyone. Indeed, I actually find it rather endearing.